Every day, thousands of New Brunswick familiesdepend on drilled domestic wells for their drinkingwater.

These wells, in turn, depend on naturalgroundwater reserves or “aquifers”. The quality of thewater they produce is always influenced by naturally-occurring minerals beneath the surface. In addition, avariety of man-made substances and other aspects ofour modern lifestyle can affect the quality of wellwater.

Making sure well water is safe for humanconsumption is a top priority. But, health questionsare not the only ones facing homeowners whodepend on domestic wells. For example, somenaturally-occurring minerals in groundwater can be amajor nuisance when it comes to washing clothes,even though the water is perfectly safe from a healthpoint of view.

Preventing drinking water problems in NewBrunswick is a key objective of the Clean Water Act.The Department of the Environment and Local Government administers two Regulations under thisAct which involve domestic wells. The Water WellRegulation has been in place for many years and includes a licensing requirement for well drillingcontractors. It also contains a detailed set of standards whichmust be met during the well drilling and constructionprocess. Until recently, however, owners of newly drilledwells in New Brunswick were not legally required totest for the presence of various substances in their water.

our groundwater resource, such tests are now required.As part of the ProvinceÌ's continuing effort to protect

The Potable Water Regulation under the CleanWater Act requires that all new wells be sampledand analyzed within 12 months of theirconstruction. Owners of all existing wells beingdeepened or repaired must meet the samerequirement.

What substances are covered in the tests?

The standard tests required under the PotableWater Regulation for drilled wells analyze the waterfor both inorganic and bacteriological substances.

“Inorganic” testing examines a variety ofcomponents such as: hardness, alkalinity, calcium,chloride, copper, fluoride, iron, potassium,magnesium, manganese, sodium, nitrite, lead,sulphate, antimony, arsenic, boron and zinc.

Bacteriological testing covers total coliforms andfaecal coliforms. These substances are typicallyassociated with the presence of decaying naturalorganic matter or discharges from sewage disposalsystems.

The cost of the test is $122.00 + HST. Ifhomeowners wish to have extra testing for othersubstances, this can be arranged. Additional chargesmay be involved, depending on the specific testrequested.

Are these tests required for my mortgage?

The Clean Water Act does not require the testingof newly drilled wells for mortgage purposes.However, some lending institutions, within their ownpolicy and procedures, may require water qualityinformation.

I F Y O U A R E P L A N N I N G T O H A V E A N E W W E L L D R I L L E D T H I S Y E A R ,P L E A S E R E A D T H I S F A C T S H E E T F I R S T !

Test ing Your Wel l Water

E N V I R O N M E N T SEPTEMBER 1999

Property buyers in areas without a community watersupply have learned that reliable information on thequality of their well water can often be very usefulwhen obtaining a mortgage, or negotiating withprospective buyers.

What information will I receive on the testresults?

For each of the substances covered by theanalysis, a specific reading is provided. These resultsare compared with the Canada Drinking WaterGuidelines and the New Brunswick Health AdvisoryLevels. If none of your results are higher than theseguidelines, your well water is acceptable for humanconsumption and unlikely to cause nuisanceproblems.

If the results you receive for one or moresubstances are higher than these guidelines, both theDepartment of the Environment and LocalGovernment and the Department of Health andWellness can advise you on dealing with the situation.

If naturally-occuring “nuisance” substances arepresent in the water, for example, several productsare commercially available which can reduce theirimpact. In cases where the test shows bacterialcontamination, your septic system or other sources ofcontaminated water may be the cause. Repairs orupgrading of a septic system or your well may berequired. Specific treatment systems, or otheroptions, can be considered once the test results areexamined.

No matter what the initial results are, the longterm value of being able to refer to the original dataat a later date may also prove very important to youas a homeowner, especially if there are changes toyour well water quality over a period of time.

What is the well driller’s legal responsibility?

Your well contractor is responsible for drilling awell that meets the requirements of the Water WellRegulation under the Clean Water Act. Theserequirements include standards for well casing, wellwater disinfection, and respecting minimumdistances between the well itself and septic systems,highways, or buildings. The driller is also required toprovide a detailed Water Well Driller’s Report to thehomeowner and the Department of the Environmentand Local Government once the well is completed.

The well contractor is not responsible under theAct for guaranteeing water quality or quantity to thehomeowner. It is strongly recommended by theDepartment and the New Brunswick Groundwater

Association that you sign a formal legal agreementwith the contractor you choose, so that both partiesunderstand the process before it begins.

How the System Works

1. Your basic well water tests will cost $122.00 +HST, in the form of a cheque or money order,payable to the Minister of Finance. The wellcontractor you hire will collect the cheque andprovide you with a Well Water Testing Voucher touse in submitting your water samples for analysisat the Province’s Environmental Laboratory.

2. Your contractor will attach a permanent tag toyour completed well, with an identificationnumber. The Property Identification Numberassigned to your property will also be needed forboth the Well Water Testing Voucher and WaterWell Driller’s Report which is submitted to theDepartment of the Environment and LocalGovernment. This number can be found on yourproperty tax form or property deed, or bycontacting the New Brunswick Geographic Information Corporation office for your area.

3. Within 12 months of having the well drilled, youmust comply with the Potable Water Regulation bypicking up sampling bottles and instructions froman office of either the Department of Environmentand Local Government or the Department of Healthand Wellness. Samples can be returned to thelocation where the bottles and instructions were picked up for delivery to the Department of the Environment and Local Government Laboratory.

4. The Department of Health and Wellness willsend you the results of your well water tests.The Department of the Environment and LocalGovernment will enter a permanent record of yourwell water quality and Water Well Driller’s Report on its groundwater database. As noted earlier, bothDepartments will be available to provide you withadvice at this stage, if required.

For further information on the Potable WaterRegulation and the location of the office nearest you

where well water sample bottles can be obtained,please contact:

N.B. Department of EnvironmentSustainable Planning Branch

P. O. Box 6000, 20 McGloin StreetFredericton, N.B. E3B 5H1

Tel: (506)-457-4846 or Fax: (506)-457-7823