Temporary Diversion Licence

Information about the application process for a Temporary Diversion Licence under the Alberta Water Act.

Important notice

May 9, 2025 – WATERS will no longer receive applications for Temporary Diversion Licences.

Effective May 9, the Alberta Energy Regulator will discontinue the Water Act Temporary Diversion Licence Electronic Review System (WATERS) and WATERS will no longer receive applications for Temporary Diversion Licences under the Water Act.

Beginning June 2, applications for Temporary Diversion Licences regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator will be submitted through OneStop. During the 3-week blackout period from May 9 to June 2, industry will not be able to submit Temporary Diversion Licence applications in OneStop.

For more information, visit the Alberta Energy Regulator website at:

Apply for a licence

Licences regulated by the Alberta government

Applications for all Water Act licences regulated by the Alberta government, including Temporary Diversion Licences, must be submitted through the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS). DRAS is an online system that identifies regulatory requirements and supports management of the lifecycle of a project or process from application to closure.

Alberta.ca Account requirements

For businesses: Businesses (legal entities) submitting an application for a Temporary Diversion Licence (or other Water Act licence) in DRAS require an Alberta.ca Account for Organizations.

For individuals: Individuals submitting an application for a Temporary Diversion Licence (or other Water Act licence) require an Alberta.ca Account.

With a DRAS account, licence holders can:

  • use the DRAS dashboard to access licence information, track the status of applications and receive notifications/email reminders
  • assign a representative and delegate access to DRAS to another person to apply for new water licences or submit water use reports on your (or the business’s) behalf

Licences regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator

The Alberta Energy Regulator will continue to use WATERS for energy resource-related Temporary Diversion Licence applications until WATERS closes on May 9, 2025. Beginning June 2, 2025, applications for Temporary Diversion Licences regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator can be made in OneStop.

For more information on Temporary Diversion Licences, see:

General information

Red Deer River Tributary

These 2 files complement the Red Deer River Basin Temporary Diversion Licence Schedules in WATERS and provide important website address locations that Temporary Diversion Licence holders may rely upon to be in compliance of their licensing conditions.

WATERS supports Temporary Diversion Licence Schedules but not additional supplemental information to the schedules; therefore, these 2 files are hyperlinked from the schedules in WATERS and require public access.

View current water restrictions in the province

Before submitting a Temporary Diversion Licence application, you can preview whether your proposed water source is closed or if it will be subject to review by an approval coordinator.

Contact

Connect for more information about the application process for a Temporary Diversion Licence under the Alberta Water Act:

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]

Alberta Energy Regulator
Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Email: [email protected] (for energy-related inquiries)