Federal Government Seeks Public Input On First National Water Security Strategy

On September 9, 2026, the federal government launched a public engagement process to inform the development of Canada’s first National Water Security Strategy (the “Strategy”). Led by the Canada Water Agency (“CWA”), the Strategy is intended to address freshwater-related challenges and opportunities, protect freshwater ecosystems, strengthen community resilience, and support water security for Canadian industries amid growing environmental and infrastructure pressures.

Feedback on the development of the Strategy is being accepted from individuals and organizations across Canada until October 25, 2026.

Background

The Strategy builds upon earlier federal initiatives aimed at enhancing coordination in freshwater management. In September 2024, the CWA convened a National Freshwater Data Strategy Workshop to advance a more coordinated approach to freshwater data collection, management, and sharing across jurisdictions. Canada announced its intention to develop the Strategy on March 22, 2026. The Strategy is conceived as a national roadmap for strengthening water security by delineating shared priorities, identifying areas where intergovernmental collaboration may yield meaningful outcomes, and guiding future policy action.

The Strategy forms part of a broader federal effort to integrate environmental stewardship with economic and infrastructure objectives. In March 2026, the federal government launched – A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, which identifies development of the Strategy as one of the measures intended to manage fresh water as a vital and strategic resource in support of Canada’s furtherance of long-term environmental, social, and economic imperatives. Concurrently, the federal government announced a $650 million, 10-year commitment under the Freshwater Action Plan to manage, restore, and protect freshwater across Canada.

The Strategy is being developed against a backdrop of intensifying pressures on the quality, quantity, and availability of freshwater resources, including droughts, floods, pollution, climate change, aging water infrastructure, stresses on groundwater supplies, and evolving security threats such as cyber-attacks on water systems. The economic dimensions of these pressures bear particular significance for water-dependent sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and electricity generation, where reliable access to freshwater is integral to ongoing operations and long-term planning.

The Strategy

No draft of the Strategy has been released to date; however, the protection and long-term security of Canada’s freshwater resources are expected to be the Strategy’s central objective. The current engagement process is designed to inform the Strategy’s development by soliciting stakeholder perspectives on water-related challenges and opportunities, the appropriate framing of water security in the Canadian context, existing initiatives that are advancing water security objectives, and additional matters warranting consideration in the Strategy. In parallel with the public engagement process, the CWA is also engaging directly with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners.

The CWA has indicated that the Strategy may incorporate a Canadian definition of “water security” and is soliciting feedback on a proposed formulation. The proposed definition reads: “Our collective capacity to safeguard and sustain freshwater ecosystems; to support reliable access to an adequate supply of safe, clean water for human health and wellbeing, and economic security; and to manage water-related risks, today and for future generations.” Industry stakeholders may wish to consider whether this formulation adequately captures the operational and economic dimensions of water security relevant to their sectors.

The Strategy is intended to build upon existing water strategies, frameworks, and activities, and to complement regional and local initiatives.¹ Provincial governments currently employ a range of watershed-management frameworks and governance models. For example, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario have each developed provincial watershed-based approaches involving government agencies, local watershed organizations, and planning mechanisms. The interplay between the federal Strategy and these existing regimes will accordingly represent a significant implementation consideration, particularly for businesses that operate across multiple jurisdictions. Experience with delegated and collaborative watershed governance models across Canada suggests that clearly defined roles, coordination mechanisms, and accountability structures will be critical to the Strategy’s effectiveness. The Strategy is expected to focus on areas of federal jurisdiction and responsibility and may also delineate shared priorities and opportunities for coordinated action across governments and other partners.

Looking Ahead

The mechanisms through which the Strategy’s priorities may ultimately be operationalized remain to be determined. At this juncture, the engagement process is directed at establishing national priorities and identifying areas for coordinated action, rather than constituting a consultation on specific legislative or regulatory amendments.

Notably, the Strategy intersects with a number of concurrent federal initiatives of direct relevance to industry, including Powering Canada Strong: A National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy, the National Food Security Strategy, the National Adaptation Strategy, and Bill C-37, the proposed First Nations Clean Water Act, which was introduced in June 2026 together with a funding commitment for water and wastewater infrastructure on First Nations lands. The practical significance of the Strategy will accordingly depend on the priorities and measures ultimately adopted, including whether they inform future federal programs, investments, or initiatives pertaining to water security, and how they interact with these parallel policy streams. This will be of particular relevance to water-dependent sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and energy, as well as municipalities, Indigenous governments, and organizations engaged in watershed management. Water-sector stakeholders, including the International Association for Great Lakes Research, have underscored the importance of clearly defined roles, accountability mechanisms, and decision-making structures.

Businesses and industry organizations that may be affected by the Strategy’s priorities and implementation are encouraged to participate in the current engagement process to identify operational challenges, information gaps, and other priorities germane to their respective sectors. Interested parties may provide feedback through the CWA’s online survey until October 25, 2026. Written responses to the consultation questions and supplementary submissions may also be directed to the CWA.

Following the conclusion of the engagement period, the CWA will publish a summary of its findings, which will inform the continued development of the Strategy.

Footnote

1. See National Water Security Strategy Public Engagement – Canada.ca.