Water Conservation

Drinking Water from Groundwater Sources

Currently in New Brunswick there are now over 100,000 private water wells and approximately 2500 new wells are drilled each year. The Province regulates groundwater exploitation through the Clean Water Act.

Every day, people rely on groundwater for their drinking water through individual well water supplies. We are all concerned with the quality of our drinking water. In New Brunswick, over 60% of the population receives its drinking water from a ground water sources and out of that number, 40% of the population relies on private water wells.

The sediment and/or rock overlaying aquifers often provide protection against surface contamination. This protection, combined with the filtration capacities of aquifers, makes groundwater supplies very appealing. The recommended practice for protecting the well is to provide well casings, which is essentially a hollow pipe, usually made from metal and inserted into the hole that will function as the well. Extending the casing above the ground level is also required to prevent surface water from entering the well. These procedures ensure that water and other materials from the surface don’t find their way into the aquifer.

Until recently, however, owners of newly drilled wells in New Brunswick were not legally required to test for the presence of various substances in their water. As part of the Province's continuing effort to protect our groundwater resource, such tests are now required.

The Potable Water Regulation under the Clean Water Act requires that all new wells be sampled and analyzed within 12 months of their construction. Owners of all existing wells being deepened or repaired must meet the same requirement.

This information is provided from the New Brunswick Department of Environment.

Continuing updates will be provided in the mail and on the Town Web Site as the year progresses.