Resources

Associations

Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO) - APGO governs the practice of professional geoscience in Ontario and reports to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines.
Professional Engineers of Ontario - the licensing and regulating body for engineering in the province.
National Ground Water Association - U.S. and international groundwater professionals - contractors, scientists and engineers, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers.
Canadian Water Quality Association - representing the Canadian water quality improvement industry.
Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association - representing the onsite and decentralized wastewater industry in Ontario, including educators, regulators, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and other parties.
Hydrogeologists Without Borders - a Canadian non-profit organization, and registered charity, based in Calgary that focuses on linking the field of hydrogeology (study of groundwater) to the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sector of international program development.

Government

Ministry of Health - Small Drinking Water Systems
- How to Test Your Well Water (Well Aware; free bacterial testing available; web page content Public Health Ontario)
- Testing Well Water - a video with steps to properly test your water using the sample bottles provided by your local Public Health Units in Ontario (produced by the Communications Office of the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit)
- Notice of Exemption from Treatment Equipment - Non-Municipal Year Round Residential Drinking Water System
- Find your local Public Health Unit for free well water testing for E.Coli and Coliform bacteria. Check your water spring, summer, and fall.

Links

Water Well Decommissioning Funding Programs in Ontario - Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) map tool with links to current funding programs - (exclusive of the Environmental Farm Plan or Source Water Protection Stewardship)
- Note: Copy the link & open it in Internet Explorer; does not work in Chrome. Please report browsers that show "no programs at this location" when clicking on the pale orange coloured regions
Lifewater.ca - is a group of volunteers that trains, equips & supports the rural poor in Haiti & Africa to drill wells and build washrooms. Find out more.
Wellaware.ca - Download the guide for well owners. The Well Aware booklet guides you through the life cycle of a well, how to maintain your well, and shows you how your well affects water quality.
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LRSCA) - Well Decommissioning and Wellhead Protection Funding Program
Ontario Groundwater - Water Wells Map Created to provide easier access to Ontario's well data. Check out more information at the OGSR Library
Groundwater 2.0 Project (GW2.0) - is a “living textbook” facilitated through Hydrogeologists Without Borders which builds off of Alan Freeze and John Cherry’s Groundwater (1979) textbook. GW2.0 will evolve to include new chapters and revisions to previous chapters. The goal of GW2.0 is to provide an Open Access textbook to ensure that both developed and developing countries have free access to an invaluable groundwater resource.

Research

Water Policy and Governance Group: a multi-university, collaborative research team based at the University of Waterloo focused on water governance and water policy, emphasizing Canadian experiences.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Private Water Well Stewardship in Ontario
Summary of the Findings of the Ontario Household Water Well Owner Survey 2008

Wells in Ontario:

Estimates indicate that there may be 750,000 wells in Ontario with close to 500,000 abandoned wells.

Approximately 10,000 - 20,000 new wells are constructed in Ontario on an annual basis.

Water Well Sustainability in Ontario, Expert Panel Report, 2006, p. 13

CURRENT NOTICES

Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights - EBR:

Policy Proposal Notice: Decision to Revise Water Supply Wells - Requirements & Best Practices Manual
Policy Decision Notice: Test Holes and Dewatering Wells: Requirements & Best Practices Draft Manual