Objective
The Groundwater Management Section monitors, evaluates and manages groundwater resources to support sustainable groundwater development, allocation and protection.
Description
The Groundwater Management Section provides monitoring and compilation of groundwater data for the province. The Section advises on groundwater resource management and protection and carries out studies that enhance knowledge of groundwater resources. The section provides basic groundwater information, maps and reports which describe local and regional groundwater resources.
Program Activities:
- Administers The Groundwater and Water Well Act and supporting General Matters and Well Standards regulations.
- Licenses water well drillers and liaisons between government and drillers.
- Investigates groundwater issues that may be related to well construction.
- Maintains and manages groundwater data including water well drillers' reports, groundwater levels, aquifer characteristics, and groundwater chemistry data.
- Operates and maintains a provincial groundwater monitoring network consisting of more than 850 monitoring wells.
- Evaluates and monitors ambient groundwater quality and water levels in major aquifers.
- Carries out mapping and data acquisition to define and characterize aquifers to assess their condition.
- Reviews and provides technical advice on projects that may potentially impact groundwater quantity or quality under various licensing and permitting processes.
- Participates in Integrated Watershed and Aquifer Management activities aimed at the Agriculture and protection of groundwater resources.
- Prepares and provides groundwater and water well educational information to private water well owners for maintaining their well, sampling groundwater, understanding water quality and sealing unused wells to protect drinking water quality and human health.
Clients:
Clients include water well drillers, consultants, pump installers, private well owners, developers, agricultural producers, cottage and acreage owners, industry, conservation districts, internal staff and provincial staff in other branches and departments, federal government, and university students and researchers.