Reclaimed water working group

This initiative supports Alberta’s Water for Life Strategy, which commits the province to improving the overall efficiency and productivity of water use by 30 per cent from 2005 levels by 2015.  Using reclaimed water for various purposes both inside and outside buildings will contribute to meeting this goal.

Alberta Reclaimed Water Working Group

Four government ministries are participating in the development of the reclaimed water management framework and each is responsible for a particular component of the provincial water system:

- Alberta Environment – responsible for regulating water treatment and distribution systems, wastewater collection, treatment and disposal systems outside of private   properties in Alberta.

- Alberta Health and Wellness and the Alberta Health Services Board – responsible for monitoring the quality of water and addressing public health issues.

- Alberta Municipal Affairs – responsible for the building, plumbing and on-site private sewage public safety disciplines in Alberta.

- Alberta Transportation – responsible for funding municipal water and wastewater treatment infrastructure in Alberta.

The working group has a mandate to explore the potential benefits and risks associated with reusing rain water and treated household and municipal wastewater.  In particular, it will:

-  identify the potential uses and re-uses of reclaimed water inside and outside buildings;

-  undertake a risk analysis of those uses of reclaimed water to prioritize work to advance the use of reclaimed water in Alberta;

-  develop a management framework, including new water quality and technical standards, within which reclaimed water can be used safely and help achieve provincial water conservation goals; and

- review and revise pertinent regulations as needed.

National Initiatives

Work to establish water quality standards, treatment technology standards and best practices is also underway elsewhere in Canada.  Nationally, a working group comprised of government officials and invited experts has been established by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Health and the Environment to develop guidelines for using household reclaimed water for toilet and urinal flushing.

The Government of Alberta Reclaimed Water Working Group is also participating in a research initiative at the University of Guelph. This project, which is principally funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, will develop design, construction, and maintenance guidelines for residential rain water harvesting systems.

Contact Information:

For additional information about the working group and using reclaimed water in Alberta, please contact the Public Safety Division of Alberta Municipal Affairs, at 1-866-421-6929.