The British Columbia government published the final 32 recommendations of the Premier's Task Force on Agriculture and Food Economy on November 24, 2025. The task force was formed in February 2025 to advise the BC government from outside. Eight of its recommendations are about water, and two deal directly with BC groundwater licensing. An earlier version of both was on the Province's page by July 2025.
The first is to immediately clear the backlog of existing-use groundwater licence applications filed before the March 1, 2022, deadline, by automatically converting all of them to authorizations "without further review." These are the applications from farms and businesses that were already using groundwater when licensing began in 2016. For users who missed that deadline, the BC government should streamline applications for new groundwater use and clear the backlog of new applications within 24 months. Members discussed risk- and volume-based options but recommended a threshold set at a level that will clear the backlog.
The second is to explore requiring a water licence to be eligible for government programs, to bring more groundwater users into licensing.
Who it affects: BC farms and businesses with an existing-use groundwater licence application still waiting for a decision, new applicants in the queue, and non-domestic groundwater users who apply to programs without a water licence.
What hasn't changed: This is advice to the government, not a decision, and the Wire has found no announcement that the Province will adopt either recommendation. The Province's own proposals of September 2025, a streamlined review of existing-use applications, and a licence exemption for small non-domestic use remain undecided, and its reports describe reviewing the remaining existing-use files, with July 1, 2027 as the target. Existing-use applicants who applied by March 1, 2022 can keep using groundwater while they wait, subject to any restrictions or orders that apply. Non-domestic groundwater use in BC still needs a licence or other authorization unless an existing exemption applies.
Source: Premier's Task Force on Agriculture and Food Economy · checked October 8, 2026
Updates: August 2026: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food's annual report said its executive had reviewed the 32 recommendations and identified 17 as the main focus for the next 12 to 18 months. It did not name them (2025/26 Annual Service Plan Report, page 22).
September 22, 2026: A provincial election was called for October 24. The BC Agriculture Council, a co-chair of the task force, said implementation of the recommendations, including those on groundwater licensing backlogs, does not proceed while the government is in caretaker mode (BCAC statement).
October 1, 2026: The council asked each party to confirm in writing that implementation will continue whoever forms government. It says it will publish every response; on October 8 its response table showed none (BCAC's page).
Related on the Wire: Missed the 2022 Deadline? What It Really Means Now
