Important notice
Move my licence: Water Act
Effective February 2024, water licences issued under the Water Act and precedent legislation by the Alberta government before November 2021 will move to the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS). DRAS is a secure online platform to help licence holders compile and view all parts of their licence(s) and activities subject to environmental regulation.
All water licence holders are required to move their water licences into DRAS by the end of 2024.
For information on how to move your water licences into DRAS, refer to the Digital Regulatory Assurance System.
Applications for Water Act licences
Applications for all Water Act licences, including renewals, and amendments must be submitted through the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS). For information on how to apply, amend and renew various Water Act licences in DRAS, refer to the knowledge articles in DRAS for Water Act application for licences.
For all Water Act licences issued, amended, or renewed in DRAS that require reporting, the licence holder must report water use data in DRAS. For information on how to report water use data in DRAS, refer to knowledge article KB0023429.
WATERS is active for Alberta Energy Regulator applicants.
Overview
On June 21, 2021, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas took a significant step towards streamlining its regulatory system with the new Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).
For more information on DRAS see: Digital Regulatory Assurance System.
Forms and applications
PDF form issues
Fillable PDF forms do not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. To fill in and save the form:
- Save the PDF form to your computer – click or right-click the link and download the form.
- Open the PDF form with Adobe Reader. Fill it in and save it.
If you are still having problems opening the form, contact PDF form technical support.
- Application for Approval to Drill Water Wells
For all approvals and licences. - Application for Transfer of Water Allocation
- Application Plan
- Detail Site Plan
- Detail Site Plan (example)
- Dugout Plan
- Livestock Water Requirement Worksheet
- Livestock Water Source Calculation Chart
- List of Users Within a 1 Mile Radius of Water Source
- List of Users Within a 1 Mile Radius of Water Source
- Quarter Section Plan Related to Detail Site Plan
- Quarter Section Plan Related to Detail Site Plan (example)
- Water Act Licence Declaration
- Water Use Reporting Template for DRAS
- Water Well Inventory List
Codes of Practice
Application plan examples
Agricultural
- Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
- Groundwater stockwatering sample plan
- Surface water feedlot sample plan
- Surface water stockwatering sample plan
Commercial
- Drainage sample plan
- Fish pond sample plan
- Golf course sample plan
- Washing sample plan
- Water bottling sample plan