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In British
Columbia approximately 25% of
the population is dependent
on groundwater sources for drinking
water. This number is likely
to increase in the future.
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State of Environment Reporting
 Status
and Trends in Groundwater Supply
Percentage
of Observation Wells that Show Declining Water Levels Due Primarily
to Human Activity
 
SOURCE:
Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, 2001. NOTES: Number
of observation wells with suitable long-term trend data increased
from 31 to 163 over a 35-year period. Due to missing data, loss
of observers, etc., only 139 sites were suitable for assessing trends
for the period 1995-2000.
Status
and trends in groundwater supply
- This indicator
was revised as a result of comments received from the last edition
of Environmental Trends. It now accounts for natural climatic
variation by reporting on only those wells that show declining
water levels due primarily to human activities such as nearby
groundwater pumping.
- The percentage
of observation wells with declining water levels due primarily
to human activities was 14% in 1995-2000 (20 of 139 wells monitored).
- The data
show that groundwater levels are not declining across the province,
but rather in local areas where groundwater withdrawal and urban
development has been intensive. Of 20 observation wells showing
water level decline in 1995-2000, 5 are on the Lower Mainland,
3 are in the Okanagan and 7 are along the southern east coast
of Vancouver Island and on the Gulf Islands.
- The decrease
in the percentage of observation wells showing declining water
levels due to human impacts since 1990 is believed to reflect
the changing spatial distribution of observation wells and changes
in groundwater demand.
- Industry
(e.g., manufacturing, mining and aquaculture) is the largest user
of groundwater in British Columbia (approximately 55% by volume)
followed by agriculture (approximately 20%) and municipalities
(approximately 20%).
Why
is it important?
- In some areas
where available surface water supplies are already fully allocated,
are too costly to develop, or are of marginal quality, groundwater
is the only viable and cost-effective source of water supply.
What
is being done?
- Phase 1 of
the Ground Water Protection Regulation was announced on July 7,
2004; for further information see http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/gws/gws_reg_back/back.html
- Enhancements
are being made to groundwater inventory activities, including
automating data collection, establishing additional observation
wells in new groundwater areas and reporting water level data
on the Internet.
- Development
of well and aquifer protection plans at the community level, including
measures to protect the quantity of groundwater supplies, are
being encouraged in cooperation with local government and water
purveyors.
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