Alberta government says voluntary water-sharing agreements were 'major success'

The provincial government says its water-sharing agreements were a "major success" and an arrangement that could be replicated in the rest of the country, as experts say important conversations around Alberta's water supply still loom in the years to come.

Earlier this year, Alberta was staring down the risk of significant drought. Winter snowpack was significantly reduced, rivers were extremely low, and multiple reservoirs were well below capacity. 

With an eye toward responding to the situation, the province launched what it called "unprecedented" water-sharing negotiations with major water licence holders in late January. 

The water-sharing agreements zeroed in on major water users in the Red Deer River sub-basin, the Bow River sub-basin, as well as the mainstem and upper tributaries of the Oldman River sub-basin, and were announced in April. 

They were voluntary memorandums of understanding (MOUs) — meaning municipalities, industry and irrigation districts all agreed to reduce their water usage, though participation was not legally binding. That led to debate around whether the voluntary nature of the agreements would hold up to the demands of drought over the long-term.

As the months went on, drought conditions did not materialize uniformly across southern Alberta. 

By May, the agreements tied to the Oldman River were activated, but those concerning the Red Deer River and the Bow River sub-basins were never used.

The last of the regularly scheduled meetings of participants was held Oct. 10, at which point signatories voted to deactivate the agreements.

Municipalities that fell under the activated agreements did take action.

A spokesperson with the City of Lethbridge said it met a goal of reducing its water consumption from May to September by a minimum of 10 per cent. A spokesperson with Lethbridge County said consumption across the county was reduced by 23.5 per cent this summer.

The City of Medicine Hat also responded to the agreements.

"From May 1 to September 30, 2024, Medicine Hat reduced its water usage by 17 per cent compared to the same period in 2023 — well above the goal of 10 per cent. This equals a reduction of nearly 1.8 billion litres of water over the same period in 2023," said Eric Busse, a spokesperson with the city, in an email.

The City of Calgary, which fell under the Bow River sub-basin agreement, said in April that if agreements were enacted, the city would commit to reduce its water use by five to 10 per cent.

Though that agreement was never activated, a rupture in Calgary's most important water feeder main in June still meant the city had to put in water restrictions.