Joint News Release: Alberta’s oil sands reported massive 12 percent increase in water use per barrel
January 15, 2026
- •
- •
- •
Despite efficiency claims, billions more litres of water were withdrawn in 2024 during critical drought across province and region
New analysis of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) data shows oil sands companies significantly increased their use of freshwater in 2024, with water consumption rising faster than production — directly contradicting the regulator’s claims of improved efficiency across the oil and gas industry.
Using data published by the AER earlier this fall, Alberta Wilderness Association, Keepers of the Water, and Environmental Defence found that oil sands operators reported to have used 257 billion litres of freshwater in 2024 to produce 698 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE). This amounts to 368 litres of freshwater used for every BOE produced if the reported values are accurate.
Compared to the 2023 AER reported numbers, this represents a 12 percent increase in freshwater use per BOE, showing that companies are using more water to produce each barrel of oil, and that water efficiency is decreasing. “At a time of ongoing low water levels in the Athabasca River, increasing freshwater use per barrel is a step in the wrong direction,” says Paul Belanger, Science Advisor for Keepers of the Water. “Instead, the data shows companies are using substantially more freshwater for every barrel of oil produced.”
In its public communications, the AER continues to emphasize recycling rates and long-term improvements since 2013. However, a closer look at the most recent data for the oil sands shows freshwater use increasing in this sector of the industry. The oil sands industry continues to drive freshwater demand and accounts for the majority of freshwater used by Alberta’s energy industry.
Much of this freshwater is withdrawn from the Athabasca River, as well as from groundwater and surface runoff. While the AER notes that only 36 percent of licensed water allocations are currently being used, this framing overlooks the scale of annual freshwater withdrawals by a small number of companies. It also ignores how much more water these companies are legally permitted to consume — up to 714 billion litres — if they wanted to. Total freshwater allocation used has also increased, rising from 26 percent in 2023 to 28 percent in 2024. “Increasing and continued use of hundreds of billions of litres of freshwater each year to produce oil is not a sign of responsible or efficient resource development,” says Cameron Hunter, Conservation Specialist with Alberta Wilderness Association. “Alberta is facing increased drought risk and water scarcity: freshwater use in the oil sands should be declining, not rising.”
“Access to fresh, clean water is needed for good health,” says Dr. Julia Sawatzky, emergency resident physician and co-chair of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Alberta committee. “The wellbeing of people who rely on their river systems for water to drink in their home communities cannot be ignored. Increasing freshwater use in the oil sands during drought conditions violates people’s right to a healthy environment.”
The AER’s Industry Water Use Performance Report is intended to show how water is allocated and used across Alberta’s energy sector. However, the water-use data reported by industry is not subject to third-party auditing, and the AER does not verify or investigate the figures it receives. Instead, the regulator compiles the numbers provided by companies and publishes them once per year, leaving significant uncertainty about their accuracy. Given the enormous volumes of water used by the oil sands every day, an independent audit of reported water use is long overdue. Freshwater use per barrel of bitumen produced appears to be increasing year over year, yet claims of improved efficiency are not supported by the regulator’s own data.
As municipal governments across Alberta warn communities to prepare for water shortages, protecting the province’s freshwater supply must include greater transparency and accountability for oil sands water use, along with stricter limits on freshwater withdrawals. Without these measures, excessive water use by the oil sands will continue to undermine Alberta’s water security.
Media Contacts:
Cameron Hunter
Conservation Specialist, AWA
Pamela Narváez-Torres
Conservation Specialist, AWA
Jesse Cardinal
Executive Director, Keepers of the Water
Mira Merchant
Environmental Defence