Source water protection plan

We protect Edmonton’s drinking water by managing the North Saskatchewan River watershed, reducing stormwater impacts, and supporting long‑term environmental stewardship.

Protecting our environment means protecting our water

EPCOR works to monitor and protect the environment because it makes our communities a better place to live and is essential to the operation of our water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Many people know that Edmonton’s drinking water comes from the North Saskatchewan River. However, Edmonton’s source water protection area extends far beyond the city. It includes the entire watershed upstream from the Rossdale Water Treatment Plant in Edmonton, Alberta, all the way to the headwaters in the Rocky Mountains. Activities throughout this broader watershed can affect the quality and reliability of our drinking water. Within Edmonton, EPCOR has another role to play as the manager of Edmonton’s stormwater and wastewater, both which can impact creeks and the North Saskatchewan River.

Integrated Watershed Management Strategy

The Integrated Watershed Management Strategy is EPCOR’s long-term approach to protecting Edmonton’s drinking water and supporting the health of the North Saskatchewan River and its watershed. This strategy helps monitor and manage the watershed to better understand and reduce risks such as climate change, flooding, and land use impacts. These efforts help ensure a clean and reliable source of water and a healthy watershed.

The strategy is made up of two key parts:

1. Source Water Protection Plan

The Source Water Protection Plan is part of EPCOR’s multi barrier approach to safeguarding drinking water. Watershed biologists identify potential risks and recommend actions to protect water quality and quantity. The plan describes the North Saskatchewan River watershed, identifies hazards, assesses risks, and outlines management strategies to reduce those risks.

A turquoise glacial river rushes through a forested mountain valley.

2. Managing our operations environmental impacts

The Integrated Watershed Management Strategy also focuses on managing the impacts of Edmonton’s stormwater and wastewater systems. This work reduces pollution compared to historical levels and supports the use of green infrastructure that improves water quality and strengthens climate resilience. Together, these actions help maintain natural watershed function, protect the North Saskatchewan River and its creeks.

Panoramic view of the city of Edmonton skyline

Partners in watershed management

EPCOR recognizes that it does not own land within the watersheds in which it operates, and is therefore committed to working with stakeholders to implement improvements and support science-based management in the watershed to protect its source water and ensure EPCOR meets regulatory requirements while supporting long term‑ environmental stewardship. EPCOR has a responsibility to ensure the drinking water provided to our customers does not pose a threat to public health and is satisfactory in its physical, chemical and aesthetic characteristics.