Environmental Trends 2002

Ground Water

Is British Columbia's Groundwater Contaminated?

Number of Heavily Used Aquifers Vulnerable to Contamination and Number of Aquifers with Reported Groundwater Quality Concern

SOURCE: Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Water, Air and Climate Change Branch, Groundwater Section, 2001. NOTES: The number in each circle represents the number of aquifers of concern within the given area. The BC Water Quality Status Report, 1996, describes in more detail the state of water quality in some aquifers. Most information is collected in areas where population is reliant on groundwater use. Little is known about groundwater in British Columbia outside these areas.

Is British Columbia’s groundwater contaminated?

• Eighteen of British Columbia’s 35 heavily used aquifers are considered highly vulnerable to contamination (up from 11 in 1996). Many of these supply drinking water to large communities, such as Langley, Abbotsford and Prince George.

• Health related water quality concerns have been reported from specific sites within 43 aquifers. The majority are in the Southern Interior, on the Gulf Islands and the east coast of Vancouver Island.

• Some contaminants (e.g., nitrates) primarily result from human activities and are of greatest concern in aquifers considered vulnerable to contamination. Others (e.g., fluoride, arsenic) are naturally occurring and affect water quality even in groundwater sources that are not at risk of contamination from human activities.

• Through notifications to owners, bulletins and workshops, municipal, provincial and federal governments are beginning to work together to inform people in affected areas and to develop community-based solutions.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth report [pdf].