Alberta shifts Water Act licenses to DRAS

The Alberta Government is making changes to how Water Act licenses managed by Alberta Environment and Parks are regulated in the province.

Starting November 15, some Water Act licenses will be managed through the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).

This includes all new applicants for surface water and groundwater licenses, and all applications for amendments, amalgamations and requests for transfers for existing licenses.

Existing Water Act surface water and groundwater licenses, as well as temporary diversion licenses will continue to be managed in the existing systems until early 2022.

For more information on DRAS, and how to access the system, head to the Government of Alberta’s DRAS site.

DRAS is a new system utilized by Alberta Environment and Parks to help streamline its regulatory system. It’s designed to “provide clear, upfront expectations to applicants,” and will help manage the entire lifecycle of a project. DRAS is rolling out in stages from 2021-2023.