EDMONTON — Alberta’s auditor general says the province’s system for managing surface water is ineffective and not set up to deal with changing conditions.

Doug Wylie says in a report that Alberta Environment and Protected Areas has no water conservation objectives in most of its basins.

The report says the government doesn’t know if existing water conservation objectives are working.

It says processes to monitor water use, assess risks and decide when conservation is needed aren’t very strong.

It concludes the province isn’t doing a good job making sure that water users are being efficient or staying within the requirements of their licences.

The report comes as much of the province remains under drought conditions.

Provincial regulators are also considering the expansion of water-intensive industries such as coal mining.

A provincial spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press