Business Plan
I am proud to present the Water Security Agency’s (WSA) Business Plan for 2024-25.
WSA is a key organization in supporting Saskatchewan’s Growth Pan for the Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, the defining vision to keep Saskatchewan a strong province, and national leader for growth for years to come.
This will be a historic year not only for WSA but also the province. The Government of Saskatchewan is moving forward with the engineering, design, and construction of the first 90,000 acres of the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects.
This work will begin to complete the vision first laid out over fifty years ago. At its peak, when fully built the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects will increase the number of irrigable acres by up to 500,000 acres, strengthening food security for the province and the country, and delivering billions in economic benefits.
In addition to commencing design, engineering, and construction work on the Lake Diefenbaker Projects, WSA is also supporting the development of nine more smaller scale irrigation projects. As Saskatchewan’s weather patterns continue to change, increased irrigation helps to stabilize the province’s agricultural sector, improving certainty to producers.
Each day our citizens have access to a secure water supply. This is possible from the network of 72 dams and hundreds of kilometers of canals which WSA owns and operates. The importance of these structures, reservoirs and conveyance channels cannot be understated. They supply municipal drinking water, water for irrigation and industry, recreation, and habitat protection.
It is important to continue to invest in the maintenance, operation, and rehabilitation of these vital pieces of infrastructure. Since 2012, WSA has invested nearly $255M in our province’s water management infrastructure and that is why in 2024-25 we will invest $42 million more to continue to support the people of Saskatchewan with safe water supplies that are sustainable, adaptable, and reliable.
Across the province WSA regulates 617 wastewater facilities, and 810 waterworks, water sustains our province and our people. Safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment ensures the protection of human health and the economic growth and prosperity of Saskatchewan’s citizens. While the majority (87 percent) of Saskatchewan residents agreed that their drinking water is safe to drink, we will continue to inspect and work with municipalities and other system owners to ensure proper on-going operation, maintenance and upgrades to these works.
WSA serves the people of Saskatchewan in several direct and indirect ways, so it is critical we always keep our focus on how we can best serve our clients in the best way to achieve the best outcomes. We have made changes to our regulatory compliance approach.
Previously, emphasis was placed on process instead of outcomes when seeking approval for projects. This process did not differentiate between larger, or higher-risk projects, and smaller, lower-risk projects more commonly undertaken by individual landowners. This caused significant delays for clients, and increased workloads for WSA staff. That is why we added approval options for Aquatic Habitat Protection (AHP) permits for low-risk activities. These changes will reduce the time and cost to our clients to obtain approvals for low-risk activities, while complying with regulatory requirements.
The Water Security Agency will report on progress towards the targets laid out in this plan, within the financial parameters provided, in the 2024-25 Annual Report.
Sincerely,
David Marit
Minister Responsible for the Water Security Agency
2024-25 Water Security Agency Plan
2023-24 Water Security Agency Plan