Water rights top priorities for municipality and counties association

Sharon McLeay

Times Contributor

 

The Alberta Association of Municipalities and Counties (AAMD&C) representatives said the government is giving top priority to water allocations.

“If not, we will be back educating them,” said Bob Barss, Association President.

Currently, Wheatland County has a water agreement, supplied under the Water Act with the Western Irrigation District (WID) to supply water.

“The WID is not normally in the business of commercially providing water to urban customers, but the province has recognized that protecting this precious resource while allowing for human needs in southern Alberta is appropriate and desirable,” commented WID Chair Dan Shute in a 2010 newswire article. 

“The specificity of this agreement will ensure water rights are protected, that our ecosystems are not negatively impacted, basic human needs are prioritized and future generations have the opportunity to grow.

Various municipalities around Calgary have the option to belong to a Calgary Regional Partnership, (CRP) which is a partnership of municipalities that works on common issues. Wheatland County previously belonged to the partnership, but withdrew because there were fundamental conflicts for them in the developed Calgary Municipal Plan (CMP). There were things included that councillors felt would not be beneficial for Wheatland ratepayers.

The CRP is currently working on a regional plan to coordinate water resources for members in the partnership. However, in a  2010 water report done by Grant Thornton, www.calgaryregion.ca/crp, based on an American Water Works Association Research Foundation study model, the report admits that there are a number of unresolved governance issues such as joining and leaving the CRP, effective integration and overarching CRP governance.

Wheatland council members said many ratepayers are afraid they will lose a percentage of their water rights with the control of water allocation in the hands of the CRP and CMP. They fear it puts Calgary in a powerful position where access to water could be denied to smaller communities. Some smaller urban municipalities lost their water licenses and councillors said they have not regained them. 

The report states that water license capacity will be shared to support the CMP, including the use of long-term water supply agreements between existing license holders and communities without licenses. 

However, the report repeatedly states the initiatives address members of the CRP. There is also a fear by ratepayers that water will become a commodity to be marketed like oil and electricity.

“Mechanisms need to be reviewed,” said Al Kemmere, AAMD&C Board Director, District 2.

He noted the County of Red Deer had to halt development because of lack of water to supply future development. The town of Strathmore was in a similar situation prior to their agreement with the City of Calgary to pull water off the Bow River.

“Water needs to be looked at on a wider scale. It shouldn’t be a political issue. How do we get safe potable water to all our residents?” Councillor Alice Booth asked.

She suggested it was not a political football to be tossed out every four years. The provincial road system works on a 50-year plan. She stated water should work on at least a 20-year plan.

Councillor Brenda Knight suggested water regulations should revert to the Water Act.

Currently there is no federal law guaranteeing an individual’s right to water.  On July 28, 2010, Canada abstained from a United Nations General Assembly vote overwhelmingly in favour of the human right to water and sanitation – a right that is essential for life itself.  Government officials gave the reason that they feared that other countries could demand water be exported to them from Canada if they voted in favour of this agreement. The Canadian Government has made commitments to supply clean potable water to some northern communities and Aboriginal settlements. However, a Calgary Herald article by Mike De Souza on April 20, notes an advisory panel on water rights was scratched in the current federal budget cuts. Cuts were also made to Environment Canada.