Analysis of Avoided Water Utility Costs from Wildfire Risk Mitigation

Abstract

Forested watersheds are severely threatened by wildfire in western Canada. The eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Alberta produce the majority of surface water supplies supporting Alberta’s population, and recent increases in magnitude and severity of wildfires along with provincial water demand result in a pressing need to evaluate wildfire risk to downstream drinking water supply and treatment. Work from this project will better enable the coordination of land management and utility operations to ensure appropriate protection and treatment of drinking water in Alberta and potentially other wildfire-prone areas such as British Columbia.