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Module 10 — Groundwater Management
Obtaining a Licence
For diversion and use of groundwater for any purpose other than household or traditional
agricultural use, you will need to make application under the
Water Act
for a licence. You
will be required to provide information about your project, such as:
Location of your well(s), whether existing or newly drilled
Anticipated depth interval that water will be taken from (depth to the aquifer)
Total quantity of water needed
Time frame for water use (year round or seasonal).
A yield test
A survey of nearby groundwater users
This information will be reviewed by AESRD to determine whether or not you will be
required to give public notice of your project. If the project is large, public notice will be
necessary. This gives local water users an opportunity to voice any concerns.
A licence may be issued after all the required information is received, all concerns are
addressed and after a review of your file satisfies the Department that your well is capable
of providing adequate water for your project without causing:
Unreasonable interference with other water users
Adverse effect on the aquifer or the environment.
Your licence may include conditions requiring you to submit monitoring data
including water level fluctuations, quantities of water used and water quality. It may also
include investigating any complaints from nearby water users and monitoring of existing
water wells.
The licence will have an expiry date based on the nature of the project or the applicant’s
estimation of how long they will need the water.
To apply for a licence to use and divert
water, contact a regional office of Alberta
Environment and Sustainable Resource
Development. See Module 11 ”Contacts
for more information” and see AESRD’s
“
Guide to Groundwater Authorization”,
Module 12 ”Other Resources”.
The applicant and the licensed water well
contractor should discuss the purpose
of any new well being drilled. If the well
is going to be used for a non-household
purpose it must be constructed in a manner
that will allow it to be licensed. Wells that
require licensing for diversion and use of
groundwater cannot be constructed with a
multi-aquifer completion.