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Alberta.ca Account
Part of Environmental approvals and assessment

Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS)

DRAS identifies regulatory requirements and supports management of the lifecycle of a project or process from application to closure.

Important notices

  • Pesticides Special Use Approval applications moved to DRAS - March 2026

    Effective March 30, 2026, applications for a pesticide special use approval to apply pesticides within 30 metres of water are to be submitted in the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).

  • EPEA remediation certificate applications moved to DRAS - March 2026

    Effective March 30, 2026, applications for remediation certificates for sites that are regulated by Alberta’s government and that fall under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) are to be submitted in the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).

  • EPEA registrations moved to DRAS – February 2026

    Effective February 9, 2026, applications for registrations that are regulated by Alberta’s government and fall under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) must be submitted to us using the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).

    Applications and submissions for EPEA approvals and registrations for pits on private lands, and solar and wind renewable energy operations (REO) will continue to be emailed to [email protected], with the application form and supporting documents attached in PDF format. For more information see “Applications and submissions.”

    If you have questions, email [email protected] or phone 780-427-6311.

  • Temporary Diversion Licences and riparian restoration projects – August 2025

    A Temporary Diversion Licence is no longer required for consuming or diverting less than 100 m3 of water per day to support the growth and establishment of plant species along a watercourse or water body.

    To provide small riparian restoration projects with the water they need to successfully establish, Alberta is removing the regulatory requirement for a Temporary Diversion Licence. In most areas, 100 m3 of water per day is a small amount, with negligible impact on the aquatic environment or other water users. Larger riparian restoration projects that will consume or divert more than 100 m3 of water per day will still require a licence.

    For more information on temporary water diversions and Temporary Diversion Licences, see:

  • Pesticides Management Program changes – January 2025

    As of January 13, 2025, service and vendor registration submissions for pesticides are submitted in DRAS. This online service will validate and manage pesticide registrations, amendments, and renewals with timely, accurate, and streamlined service.

  • Move My Licence: Water Act – January 2025

    Water Act licence holders are required to move water licences issued before November 2021 into DRAS. Licences renewed and amended after November 2021 are already in DRAS.

    Follow the steps below to manage your water licence(s) and report water use:

    1. Log in to DRAS using your Alberta.ca or Alberta.ca Account for Organizations (see How to access DRAS to learn more).
    2. Select the ‘Move my pre-DRAS water licence records’ application form and enter your Water Act licence number and licence name.
    3. Finish by verifying the auto-populated information and click Submit.

    Check out these resources for help with the process of moving your water licence(s) into DRAS:

Overview

Since June 2021, Alberta's government has been developing an online Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).

The digital system maintains high environmental standards, makes the review of applications for approvals and licences more transparent and efficient, and clarifies the environmental regulatory expectations of applicants.

When it is fully developed, DRAS will support authorization types managed by the Alberta government under the Water Act and the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), and authorization types under the Public Lands Act. DRAS will be used to manage the entire lifecycle of a project from application to authorization, monitoring and compliance reporting, remediation and closure.

How to access DRAS

Go to DRAS

DRAS implementation

DRAS is being developed in phases. Currently, the following regulatory processes are applied for and managed through the system:

  • Water Act approvals and approval amendments
  • Water Act licences (surface water or groundwater) and licence amendments, renewals, transfers and amalgamations
  • Water Act Temporary Diversion Licences (TDL) (surface water or groundwater) and TDL amendments
  • Water Act Codes of Practice notices
  • EPEA pesticide registrations, notifications, amendments and renewals (except pits on private lands, and solar and wind renewable energy operations)

Future DRAS rollouts include:

  • Public Lands Act dispositions for commercial and industrial activities
  • drinking water management and related activities that we regulate

For applicants, DRAS provides:

  • the ability to apply for one project with multiple activities through one portal
  • clear application standards and requirements
  • a transparent and efficient decision-making process
  • the ability to track the status of applications
  • provincewide consistency of application processes

Indigenous consultation process

To align with Alberta’s proponent-led Indigenous consultation method, applicants for Water Act approvals and licences can use the Aboriginal Consultation Office Digital Service to manage their regulatory consultation file.

Learn more about Indigenous consultation in Alberta in this knowledge article:

Report an incident

Report an Incident is available in DRAS for self-reporting and reporting public concerns. It features online report forms for types of environmental incidents that may be in contravention of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the Water Act or the Public Lands Act.

Emergency environmental and dangerous goods incidents are still reported by calling Alberta EDGE (Environmental and Dangerous Goods Emergencies) at 1-800-222-6514. 

Contact

Connect with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-6311
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]

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