New Groundwater and Water Well Act and Groundwater Strategy Proposed

Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship is proposing a new Groundwater and Water Well Act to replace the existing Ground Water and Water Well Act.   Bill 25, the Groundwater and Water Well Act , was introduced into the legislature on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.  The proposed new act is part of a new eight-point Groundwater Strategy.

The proposed legislation is a key component of the province’s strategy to protect aquifers, groundwater, and those who rely on well water.  The eight-point strategy includes:

• Strong new rules to govern well drilling and sealing and to formalize aquifer management planning
• New educational materials for well owners will be developed in partnership with stakeholders to support the new regulatory requirements that wells be properly maintained
• Development of a modernized groundwater and well database including web-based information to provide improved and more accessible information to well owners, drillers and sealers
• Improved mapping of groundwater to ensure the availability of updated maps such as of overburden thickness, water quality and flowing well areas
• New oversight and support to small (semi-public) water system owners including those that use groundwater as a water source
• Improved pattern surveillance and investigation of well water quality contamination events with the potential to affect private wells
• Increased technical support for compliance with the Drinking Water Safety Act for public and semi-public systems including those that use groundwater as a water source; and
• New water advisory guidelines including thresholds for issuing and ending advisories for small communities served by individual wells.

The proposed new act will deal with a number of issues not currently included in legislation or where strengthening of legislation is needed to provide additional protection to groundwater and aquifers.  The proposed new act includes measures to manage and protect groundwater, as well as to strengthen legislation governing the drilling, construction, maintenance, and sealing of wells. New and improved licensing and standards to protect groundwater and well owners and first-in-Manitoba certification requirements for well drillers and sealers will be developed.  In addition to water supply wells, the proposed new act will also apply to geothermal, geotechnical, and monitoring wells.  The new act will formalize the process for establishing aquifer management plans for the management, protection, and sustainable use of aquifers.  The new act will also enable the development of supporting regulations.

Should you have any questions, please e-mail: groundwater@gov.mb.ca
or phone: (204) 945-3737 in Winnipeg, or toll free at 1-800-282-8069 (extension 3737 or 3991).

Background:

The current Ground Water and Water Well Act and the accompanying Well Drilling Regulation are key pieces of legislation for the management and protection of Manitoba's groundwater resources.  The Act has a broad set of regulatory powers, but its main framework and underlying philosophy is nearly 50 years old.

During March and April 2012, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship engaged stakeholders on the proposed new Groundwater and Water Well Act.  Comments were received through a variety of public consultations.  Thank you to the many stakeholders for their valuable comments and participation.