Red Deer Basin Water Issues

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Red Deer Basin Water Issues

• Pressure for water is mounting
• Water availability is in question
• Future municipal water needs are not clear
• Assuring a water supply is required

2
Study Tasks

• Review Water Management in the Red Deer Basin
• Make Population Projections
• Assess Current Water Use
• Project Future Water Use
• Explore Storage Possibilities
• Evaluate Return Flow Credit Concept
• Evaluate Water Reuse Options
• Evaluate Water Conservation Potential
• Recommendations for Long Term Security of Supply

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Project Approach

• Began study in September 2008
• Conducted a survey of municipalities
• Prepared 8 Technical Memorandums
• Conducted simulation modeling of water use
• Made recommendations for securing water and
  improving water management in the basin.

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Water Management

• Leadership provided by
• Municipal User Group
• Watershed Alliance
• Regulatory oversight by
• Alberta Environment
• Fisheries and Oceans
• Issues
• Diversion out of the basin
• Water quality
• Groundwater availability
• Water quantity and storage

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SSRB Water Management Plan

• Water Conservation Objective can limit access to
  water on a daily flow basis.
• Apportionment limits water on annual basis
• Allocation target limit of 550,000 dam3
• Minimum winter flow of 16 m3/s
• Minimum summer flow of 10 m3/s

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Average Annual Population Growth Rates
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Red Deer City Growth Projections
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Red Deer River Basin Population Projections
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Municipal Water Use Projections
2006 allocations and applications total 93,680
dam3
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Red Deer River Basin Total Water Use
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Water Use Sectors - 2056
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Water Conservation

• Physical Conservation Measures
• Structural (meters, fixtures, landscaping)
• Operational (leak repair, parks, water zones)
• Behavioral Conservation measures
• Economic (meter rates, fixture incentives)
• Regulatory (Water restriction Bylaws
• Educational (audits,training, coordinator)

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Water Rate Comparison
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Modeling Red Deer River Demands

• Alberta Environment should
• Update allocation database
• Inspect larger allocations for excess water
• Refine drainage boundaries
• Restrict model to Red Deer median flow demands
  rather than entire SSRB basin.

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Storage Requirements
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• 2007 Storage Site Inventory

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• 1976 Off-Stream Storage Site Report

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Recommendations for Water Supply Security

• Municipal Water Security Themes
• Water Governance
• Financial Incentives
• Technical Studies
• Water Management Administration

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1. Water Governance Recommendations

• Crown Reservation for Municipal Allocations
• Special Licence Terms
• Net Diversion Licencing
• Water Shortage Emergency Measures
• Return Flow Market

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1.1 Crown Reservation

• This reserves water for future municipal use
• Priority could be guaranteed as well
• Removes competition and protectionism
• However risk of no allocation is low

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1.1 Crown Reservation Concept

• Municipal licences 93,700 current 81,300
  175,000 dam3
• Other licences 236,000 current 139,000
  375,000 dam3
• SSRB limit 550,000 dam3

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1.3 Emergency Shortage Measure

• Confirm with AENV - ability to take water in an
  emergency if the instream need is constraining
  use.
• Change Legislation if necessary

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2. Financial Incentive Recommendations

• Increase Regional Water System Funding
• Water Licence Transfer Rebate
• Water Conservation Grant Program
• Water Reuse Grants
• On-site Raw Water Storage Grant Program

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4.1 Diversions outside Basin

• May be reasonable where
• There is a demonstrated need, and
• There is no viable alternative for a source.
• AENV should provide
• Adequate notice to entire basin, and
• Public forums.

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4.2 Water Licence Applications

• Alberta Environment should improve licence
  application information for Basin residents by
• Creating an website for lists of applications
• Directly advising RDRWA of large applications
• Creating a registry for persons wanting to be
  notified
• Providing electronic access to water consumption
  data form all users.

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4.3 Water Sharing Agreement

• Most senior licences are small
• Some large users are AENV, Ducks Unlimited and
  industry.
• Should have a plan for water shortages
• RDRWA could be a forum
• Identify potential issues and information needs
• Determine options
• Arrive at tentative agreements in advance

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4.4 Water Allocation Administration

• Alberta Environment should
• Assign one Director for Water Act decisions in
  the Basin.
• Examine all allocations for efficiencies
• Modify duplicate records
• Sheerness/Deadfish
• Ensure groundwater licences are not surface water

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Conclusions

• Allocations are possible for 50 (maybe 100)
  years
• HOWEVER
• Licences not reliable in any winter and some
  summers
• Increased instream needs may decrease availablity
• Climate change may increase/decrease availability
• Best Municipal Approach.
• Water conservation measures
• Enhance existing, on-site and off-stream storage
  
• Increase vigilant knowledge of the river system
• A mix of governance planning strategies

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QUESTIONS - DISCUSSION
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