Environmental stewardship

Billing the true cost of water

We advocate market structures that encourage power and water conservation.

We believe all consumers need to pay the true cost of water. Passing on the true cost to customers is critical because it reminds us to conserve and make more prudent use of our resources. Water is scarce, and it requires investment to keep infrastructure reliable and safe. Holistic water management needs to include both conservation and a long-term approach to infrastructure investment.

Water rates should reflect the whole cost of the system

With full-cost accounting, water rates reflect all costs associated with water and wastewater infrastructure and operations. When water rates are subsidized, customers have trouble connecting the improvements with the magnitude of financial investment required to sustain adequate water supply, treat wastewater, and

• Working to dispel the myth of a limitless abundance of water in Canada.
• Enforcing laws presently on the books so water operators have incentives to invest in infrastructure and innovative water quality systems.
• Giving communities the right tools to meet the challenges they face by challenging existing service delivery models and building partnerships between governments and the private sector.
• Moving toward better integration of watershed management strategies with larger land-use policy.

Our watershed protection program vision

To provide clean and adequate water supply for all water treatment plants that we own and/or operate.

We are committed to safeguarding the health of its customers and strives to understand and protect the source of drinking water supply in all communities in which we operate. Source protection is the first step in the multiple-barrier approach to drinking water treatment. But we don't stop there. We also consider watershed protection downstream, by examining the impact wastewater operations have on the environment.

4 Pillars of Watershed Protection

1. Acting

   We support programs and organizations that work towards reducing contamination of receiving waters through:

   • Best management practices
   • Local level planning
   • Environmental design

2. Managing

   We partner with watershed advisory councils and groups to protect water quality and quantity through integrated watershed management and source water protection strategies.

3. Educating

   We work together with like-minded partners to educate industry, stakeholders and the public about the importance of watershed protection and best management practices.

4. Researching

   We support scientific research and monitoring to:

   • Determine effects of various activities on source water quality and quantity
   • Identify problem areas
   • Evaluate effectiveness of protection strategies

Our watershed protection work

To learn about the watershed protection work we're doing in the communities where we operate, visit the following pages:

North Saskatchewan River watershed

• Edmonton

Bow River watershed

• Canmore
• Strathmore

If you'd like us to help with an environmentally sound water or wastewater treatment solution for your industry or municipality, please contact us.

Reduce your water footprint

At EPCOR, we look beyond the immediate task and work with you to analyze your water footprint and your total water and wastewater management process. We explore potential water re-use opportunities and consider ways to mitigate your risks and maximize your ongoing operational efficiency.

Lifecycle management

We use a lifecycle management approach, putting your project into perspective with all of your water use.

By examining your complete water usage, a team of water experts can identify operational efficiencies and economies of scale, whether renewing existing infrastructure or starting a new project.

We seek to add value through every stage of the water cycle by considering a more holistic perspective.