Edmonton, ALTA — The amount of time it would take to receive a water licence in Alberta has been reduced by just over half the time it would have taken in 2024. Under the Water Act, water license wait times have shrunk by 52 per cent when compared to the previous year. When compared to 2021, the wait time has reduced by 79 per cent.
“These results are good news for every Albertan, company or community looking to access water in this province. Minister Schulz and I will keep looking for ways to cut red tape, reduce bureaucratic delays and get rid of outdated processes that slow good work down,” shares Grant Hunter, associate minister of water.
As of Sept. 30, more than 88 per cent of Water Act approval and licence applications submitted in the past year were complete.
Last year, the Alberta government introduced mandatory service targets for all Water Act applications to improve review times and reduce delays. This included implementing a new online system for submitting and reviewing applications.
With these improvements, the number of outstanding applications received before 2024 was reduced from 644 to seven, and timelines for authorizations for work requiring a Water Act approval declined by 46 per cent.
Additionally, within the target timeline, decisions have been made on 86 per cent of applications submitted since the beginning of April 2025, with 71 per cent of those completed 30 days or more under the target, reports the Alberta government.
On average, applicants are receiving decisions 354 days sooner, adds the Alberta government.