Water
3.1 Chapter Summary

Canadian Context

• Canada has a rich supply of freshwater resources, but this supply is not always available where and when it is needed. Increasing and competing demands can pose water use challenges and constraints in some parts of the country. Climate change may also pose additional stresses on water availability.
• The leading withdrawal uses of water in Canada include: thermal electricity generation (64%, manufacturing industries (14%), municipal use (12%), agriculture (9%), and mining (1%). The most significant water availability pressures in Canada are in the southern prairie region.
• In terms of benchmarking water use, Canada is a water rich nation compared to other countries, however, on average, Canadians use more water than almost all other OECD nations.
• Water quality is difficult to define and assess on a national basis. The most significant pressures on water quality are in highly populated and/or highly industrialized areas. The most significant point sources of pollutant releases come from municipal use, agricultural activity, and industrial activity.
• Benchmarking water quality at a national level does not provide meaningful comparisons as water quality impacts are largely local.

Energy Sector

• Energy production in Canada requires large quantities of water and water demands are projected to grow in most sub-sectors. The most significant water uses across the energy sector value chain include hydroelectric generation, thermal power generation, and oil and gas production.
• The energy sector does not contribute a significant amount of direct pollutant releases to water relative to other industries; however, a number of activities across the value chain can impact water quality and need to be managed.
• Hydroelectric power generation, a renewable form of energy, is the largest in-stream, non-consumptive user of water in Canada. Dams and diversions for hydro generation can alter water availability and affect water quality. In terms of benchmarking, Canada has built more dams and diverted more water for the purpose of hydroelectric generation than any other country.
• By volume, thermal power generation is the largest withdrawal user of water in Canada; however, almost all the water used is discharged. Thermal power generation is not a significant source of pollutant releases to water, however some water quality impacts can exist in the extraction of coal and uranium used for thermal generation.
• Large quantities of water are used for the extraction of oil and gas; however, a significant portion comes from deep aquifers and does not have other uses. The oil and gas industry accounts for 7% of fresh water allocations in Alberta where water availability pressures exist due to competing and intensifying water demands. Water use is expected to increase significantly (particularly for oil sands production) and the ability to meet future demands with available regional supplies may present water availability challenges in oil sands regions.
• The volume of process-affected water used to extract bitumen from oil sands and coalbed methane is increasing significantly and, in certain circumstances, may pose water quality impacts that need to be managed. Tailings and other residual materials from oil sands mining may pose long-term water quality and reclamation issues.
• Downstream petroleum industries are not a major water user in Canada, however transportation activities (marine shipping and pipelines) can have potential impacts to water.