Submitting Well Records to BC Wells Database

Is my well registered?

Check to see if your well is already in the BC Groundwater Wells and Aquifers Database. You can search by ID Plate Number (if your well has an ID plate), Street Name or other criteria in the Advanced Search.

What does it mean to register my well?

By registering your well with the province, you provide your well records / well log that was developed at the time of drilling. This includes basic information about well location, well construction and depth of well, where this information is available. It is a very simple process with little time or effort required. Submitting well logs / well records for new wells is now required of well drillers under the new BC Water Sustainability Act. Registering existing wells by submitting well records is strongly recommended, on the part of the domestic well owner.

Why is it beneficial to register my well?

Examples of when information in the Wells Database could be used:

• If an environmental spill or other emergency occurs and there is a need to contact nearby well owners to let them know their well water could be affected.
• If a water supply system or production well is being constructed, to evaluate whether nearby well owners exist who could be impacted.
• If a water supply system or production well is being tested, to evaluate whether nearby well owners exist who could be impacted, who might be contacted prior to the test, and potential sites to monitor during new well testing.
• In the case of an Environmental Assessment process, to identify where current water users exist that might be impacted by a major project.
• New property owners will be able to look up information about the well (well depth, estimated yield etc.) for a particular property. The WELLS database is frequently referred to by realtors and potential property buyers, or new property owners who were not able to get information on the well from the previous tenants/owners. By referring to the well construction record, well owners are able to provide information about to contractors hired to maintain the well, and to get information on the well history. If they lose their own records for some reason, they can refer to the database again.
• Scientists and water managers use the information in the WELLS database to understand where the most access to groundwater takes place, and to decide on priority aquifers for future research and protection programs.
• Click here for the BC Well Registration Form

Should I have a Well Identification Plate on my well?

A well identification plate is a steel plate with a unique number attached to some wells. This number allows for easy tracking of the well both in the field and in the WELLS Database. Wells drilled prior to November 2005 do not require a well identification to be attached; however, if you would like to voluntarily attach a well identification plate to your well, please contact the Ministry of Environment through their email at GroundWater [at] gov.bc.ca (groundwater[at]gov[dot]bc[dot]ca).

Note: If you do not have one, please request a well identification plate when you submit your Well Registration Form.

The WELLS database only contains information on well construction such as date of construction, driller name, well depth, geology that the well is constructed in, estimated well yield/productivity at the time of construction, and static water level.

The WELLS database DOES NOT allow the public to access water quality information for private wells.

The WELLS database DOES NOT have any means to monitor water use - it is only a record of location and basic info