Are permits required to drill a water well in BC?

A well drilling permit is not required to a drill a water well in British Columbia.  Domestic Water Well User in BC also do not require a license providing the purpose of the water well is for domestic purposes only.

What is a Domestic Water Well User in BC?

A sole purpose of a domestic water well in British Columbia is for the use of groundwater water for a private dwelling household, fire prevention, private lawn and garden watering not to exceed a  metric dunam or 1,000 square meters or a ¼ of an acre, also domestic use of groundwater in BC includes water for domestic animals or poultry kept as pets or for household use.

Other Possible Well Drilling Requirements in British Columbia

You need to ensure that you have all other necessary permits or assessments before drilling a domestic water well in BC.  This may include Water Supply Systems, Environmental Assessments,  Permit for over Crown Land or Crown Land Tenure if any of your work is on or cross Crown Land, Municipal (bylaws) or local government permits.

It’s very important to be familiar with local municipal bylaws that may affect setbacks or other requirements that you need to be aware of, or easements or agreement to access property if your work is on or will cross someone else’s private property.

Water Well Setbacks For British Columbia

Horizontal setbacks for new water supply wells in British Columbia:

To safeguard the quality and quantity of the groundwater resources in British Columbia, new water supply wells used to supply water domestic and non-domestic must be sited at least the following distances from existing features.

6 m (20 ft) from the any private dwelling (Health Hazards Regulation);

15 m (50 ft) from an existing water supply well that is used or intended to be used (GWPR),

unless:
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– the owner of the proposed well also owns the existing water supply well and only one well is proposed to be drilled, or

– it is not practicable to do so. In this case, a professional with competency in hydrogeology can prepare alternative specifications for the siting of the new well, so that the existing uses of the existing water supply well will not be adversely affected.

These alternative specifications must be submitted to and accepted by a BC Engineer

• 30 m (100 ft) from a known or probable source of contamination (e.g., cesspool, privy vault, manure heap stable, pigsty) (Health Hazards Regulation)
  
  
• 120 m (400 ft) from an existing cemetery or a dumping ground (e.g., landfill), unless contamination of the well would be impossible because of the physical conformation (Health Hazards Regulation)
  
  
• 50 m (165 ft) from the shoreline of a saltwater body.
  Wells less than 500 m (1,650 ft) from the coastline are at risk of drawing in saltwater (see Best Practices for Prevention of Saltwater Intrusion).
  
  

Setbacks for new features relative to existing water supply wells in British Columbia:

To safeguard public health and groundwater quality, the discharge area of a new sewerage system or storm water infiltration system must be sited at least the following distances from an existing water supply well:

• 30 m (100 ft) for a sewerage system with a maximum daily design flow of less than 22.7 m3/day (Sewerage System Regulation, Sewerage System Standard Practice Manual
  
  
• 60 m (200 ft) for a sewerage system with a maximum daily design flow of less than 22.7 m3/day, from a high pumping rate community well (i.e. a well or well group that supplies water to more than 500 persons or is pumped for more than 3 months at a rate exceeding 190 L/min (50 USgpm)) (Sewerage System Standard Practice Manual)
  
  
• 90 m (300 ft) for a sewerage system with a maximum daily design flow of less than 22.7 m3/day, from a high pumping rate community well completed in an unconfined aquifer (Sewerage System Standard Practice Manual)
  
  
• 60 m (200 ft) for a sewerage system that has a maximum daily flow of between 22.7 and 37 m3/day, regardless of whether the water supply well is completed in a confined or unconfined aquifer (Municipal Wastewater Regulation)
  
  
• 90 m (300 ft) for a sewerage system that has a maximum daily flow greater than or equal to 37 m3/day (Municipal Wastewater Regulation)
  
  
• 300 m (1,000 ft) for a sewerage system that has a maximum daily flow greater than or equal to 37 m3/day, from a water supply well completed in an unconfined aquifer (Municipal Wastewater Regulation)The zone of influence of the domestic water supply well must not include the point of discharge of a non-disinfected effluent (Municipal Wastewater Regulation).
  
  
• 60 m (200 ft) for an underground storm water infiltration system (Underground Storm water infiltration – Best Practices for Protection of Groundwater Resources in BC)
  
  

If one or more of the above setback distances applies to a well, the most conservative (greatest) setback distance should be used.

Setbacks marked with an asterisk (*) may be reduced following consultation with a professional with competency in hydrogeology and/or a local regulatory authority. In these cases, refer to the corresponding regulations and/or guidelines, as special conditions may apply.
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It is recommended that the professional consult with the appropriate regulatory authority before a hydrogeological study is initiated. For setbacks from sewerage systems under the SSR, refer to APEGBC’s Professional Practice Guidelines for Onsite Sewerage Systems.

How long will a water well last in British Columbia?

Water wells are a reliable source of water for many British Columbia homes and businesses. But how long does a well last?  While the average water well has a life expectancy of between 25 and 100 years, there are many factors that can affect a well’s longevity.

The type of well, the materials used to construct the well, and the local ground water conditions all play a role in determining how long a water well will last in British Columbia.

Generally, water wells last longer in areas with good water quality and little ground movement. In contrast, water wells in areas with high water tables or frequent ground movements, such as earthquakes, can have shorter lifespans.

Deeper wells tend to last longer than shallow wells because they’re less susceptible to contamination from surface water. Additionally, water wells located in areas with a lot of groundwater typically have a longer lifespan than those in arid regions.

The type of well, the materials used to construct the well, and the local ground water conditions all play a role in determining how long a water well will last.

A water well constructed with steel casing is more likely to last longer than a water well constructed with concrete casing. Ultimately, there’s no way to give an exact answer for how long a water well will last.

 It’s not uncommon for water wells to last upwards of 50 years with proper maintenance and water quality testing can help to extend the life of a water well.

The best way to prolong the life of your water well is to have it regularly inspected and maintenance by a qualified water well or well pump contractor. By taking these simple steps, you can ensure that your water well will provide years of trouble-free service.

When shopping around for a local well drilling contractor to drill your new water well, make sure that all the well drilling cost estimates you receive are comprehensive. The cost to drill a well in BC will vary considerably depending on several factors, including:

– Well Drilling Equipment Required:

Different well drilling rigs have different capabilities, so the type of rig used required to drill will affect the price. If a well drilling contractor must use a more powerful rig, it will drive up the cost to drill a well in British Columbia.

– Ground Makeup:

The type of ground (sand, gravel, rock) and how deep the water source is will also affect the water well cost. If the water is deep down in solid rock, it will be more expensive to reach than if it’s close to the surface in sandy soil.

Although the price per foot to drill in bedrock is much less that drilling in overburden as bedrock drilling in British Columbia will not require the high additional cost of steel casing.

– The Volume of Water Required:

If you need a lot of water, the well driller may have to drill a larger diameter well, which will cost more to install.

The price of a water well may seem like a significant investment, keep in mind that a well can provide an unlimited supply of safe, clean water for your home or business. When compared to the cost of municipal water over time, a well can be a very cost-effective solution.

By understanding all the factors that go into well drilling in the Province, you can be sure to get the best possible value for your investment, even the value of your BC land depends on a good producing water well.

These are just some of the factors that can affect the cost of drilling a water well in BC. Make sure you get a comprehensive estimate from BC Water Well contractors who service the local so there are no surprises down the road.