Regional Water Quality Management in an Urban and Petrochemical Intensive Area of Canada

The Province of Alberta has embarked on an endeavor to implement the Water Management Framework (WMF) for the Industrial Heartland and Capital Region (‘the Framework’). At a strategic level, this initiative has established a Vision, Strategic Objectives and Guiding Principles for development of an integrated regional framework for managing water quality and quantity in the North Saskatchewan River (NSR) in this geographical region. Achieving this Vision will require the conduct of specifically defined projects, culminating in the Framework Implementation Plan. Project 2 was the Engineering Study for Evaluation of Industrial Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Alternatives (Scenarios) for the Industrial Heartland and Capital Region, which was a three-year effort and the focus of this case study paper. The Province and its nine external stakeholders, organized into a Steering Committee and three technical subcommittees (baseline science, engineering, governance / management of assets), are updating the WMF to reflect the Project 2 findings.