Water Protection & Sustainability Branch

Water Licence Application and Approval Forms

All water in British Columbia is owned by the Crown on behalf of the residents of the province. Authority to divert and use surface water is obtained by a licence or approval in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Water Act and the Water Protection Act .

In British Columbia, simply having access to surface water within or adjacent to property does not authorize a right to divert, use or store water.

Water Licence Application

Summary Processing of a Water Licence Application:

The water licence application is submitted by the applicant to FrontCounterBC
Once the application meets completeness criteria for acceptance the application is checked to identify potential impacts which include: existing licence holders or earlier applicants, minimum in-stream flow requirements, landowners or crown land tenure holders, other agencies, and the interests of First Nations.
Once notification of potentially affected licensees or other interests have been completed and comments or objections received, a technical assessment of the application is performed by Water Stewardship staff to determine if there is sufficient water available in the source to issue a new water licence.
The Regional Water Manager or the Comptroller of Water Rights reviews the assessment of the application considering potential impacts and the availability of water and will either grant a water licence or refuse the application.
All Applications have a right of appeal to the Environmental Appeal Board from a decision of a Regional Water Manager or the Comptroller of Water Rights.

For information or assistance with applications for water authorizations, please contact the FrontCounterBC office in your area.

Watch a step-by-step Video on "how to" complete your Water Application

Complete Application Package

Complete Application Package ( 1MB - Updated October, 2011)

Short Application Package

Shortened Version of Application Package ( 329kb) ( 800kb) Word Version
(smaller-scale water use e.g. domestic and irrigation)
Application Completeness Checklist ( 52kb) - Ensure all required information has been submitted. Incomplete applications will be returned.
Application Requirements for a Water Licence ( 49kb) Updated July 2011
Applicant's Agency Resource Guide Updated - October, 2011 ( 185kb)
This guide is intended to assist applicants by describing the responsibilities of the agencies associated with water licensing

Quick Licensing (Quick licensing is a “fast track” process for adjudicating water licence applications. It can be used for small quantities on sources where the withdrawal would have no impact on other water users.)

Application Fees

Application Fee Refunds

Miscellaneous Water Application Fee

Applications for Changes In and About a Stream - Section 9

Approval Forms for Short Term Use - Section 8

Short Term Use of Water for Well Drilling ( 98kb)

Water Use Purpose Definitions ( 161 kb)