Water Policy in Alberta

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the impacts of agricultural and industrial activity on water resources in the province of Alberta, and how these activities could compromise drinking water quality. This chapter provides a profile of the water sector and water policy in Alberta. We also discuss the modification and implementation of the World Health Organization’s guideline titled, “Water Safety Plan” in the province of Alberta, and we assess to what extent Water Safety Plans are likely to enhance safe drinking water. A risk matrix from the Drinking Water Safety Plan is constructed to assess the severity of any existing or emerging chemical, microbiological, physical, or radiological parameters. However, the major problem is that there is no empirical data used to quantify risk parameters when defining the various types of “likelihoods.”