Water Licence Application Processing in OneStop

We are incorporating a water licence application and authorization process within OneStop for energy- and mineral-related water licence applications and water use submissions. This change is in response to the Government of Alberta retiring legacy systems currently used by the AER to process water licence applications. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas will continue to use the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS) to process Water Act applications unrelated to energy or minerals.  

The water licence approval criteria under the Water Act remain unchanged. Associated acts, regulations, policies, and requirements for provincial water resources are not changing. 

On June 2, 2025, the AER will begin to use OneStop to process applications for energy- and mineral-related water use licences (including temporary diversion licences) and water use submissions.

The Government of Alberta (GoA) will retire the following systems:

• Water Act Temporary Diversion Licence Review System (WATERS)
• Water Act portion of the Environmental Management System (EMS)
• Water Use Reporting System (WURS)
• Water Use Reporting System Data Query (WURSDQ)

The last day for operators to access these systems is May 9 at 4:00 p.m. 

We will use OneStop to process energy- and mineral-related water licence applications (including applications for temporary diversion licences) and water use submissions.

Learn more about how we regulate.  

There is no change to the process or technology used for Water Act approvals.  

Continue to submit the following Water Act approval applications and notifications for activities that require our approval under the Water Act  through OneStop: 

• new applications
• amendment applications
• code of practice notifications

Please continue to submit Water Act approval applications for coal mines and oil sands mines to EPEA.WA.Applications@aer.ca.

Starting June 2, submit applications for water licences (including temporary diversion licences) to OneStop, including submissions regarding water use monitoring and reporting.

You can view water licence applications through the Public Notice of Applications webpage and our decisions on the Publication of Decision webpage. 

We are obliged under the Water Act to provide a licensee with a notice of renewal. We will post a public notice of the renewal application once received. The public can view the application through the Public Notice of Applications webpage.

Yes. An industry working group was formed in 2023 for the water licensing project to share the proposed systems change approach and understand industry needs and considerations. The industry working group provided

• valuable insights into how the systems change may affect industry and ideas for mitigation;
• input into what industry needs provincially in terms of change management and communications support;
• end-user experience design input, such as providing feedback on the functionality being developed and its usability; and
• insights to help shape training plans and review training content that meets the needs of industry end users.

Yes, from May 9 at 4:00 p.m. to June 2 at 10:00 a.m. During this period, industry will not be able to submit TDL applications in WATERS, access WURS for reporting, or submit Term Licence applications via email. The blackout period applies to renewals, cancellations, and amendments.  

All other OneStop functionality will be available during this time, and companies can submit the following Water Act approval applications and notifications for activities that require our approval under the  Water Act:

• new applications
• amendment applications
• code of practice notifications

No. We will only process temporary diversion licences (TDLs) in an emergency (e.g., spill response, unavoidable schedule change affecting an existing TDL, or the source for the original TDL is unusable).

To submit a TDL application in an emergency, fill out the Application under the Water Act for Licences form. Email the completed form along with a description of how the application fits within our emergency criteria to EPEA.WA.Applications@aer.ca.

Yes, we will work to process in-progress applications during this time. Some term licence decisions may also be made during this time.

A temporary diversion licence (TDL) that is received before May 9 at 4:00 p.m. will be reviewed and assessed before June 2. Some term licence decisions may also be made during this time.  

If the AER does not process a term licence application, the applicant must resubmit the application in OneStop on or after June 2. We will work directly with applicants to help transition term licence applications into OneStop. Also, we will uphold the term licence priority number from the date and time of the original application. A new public notice will not be required for resubmitted applications. 

We will host industry information sessions in April 2025 to review the upcoming system changes and guidance to prepare. Register on Eventbrite to attend a session.  On-screen prompts and guidance will also be available within OneStop.