Water Stewardship

Ground Water Mapping and Assessment in British Columbia

Appendix B

TABLE B1 - SUMMARY OF SOURCES OF DATA ON WELLS, CHEMISTRY WATER LEVELS, AND GROUND WATER REPORTS

BOREHOLE INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION and AGENCY WATER WELLS

The MOE Ground Water Section is a central source for the following types of information:

• Computerized index of water wells (CGDS) - possible to download data onto diskette, or via electronic mail. As of April 19, 1995, direct searches of the database were made available over the Internet.
• Water well location maps
• Water well paper files which include some chemistry data

MoE
Water, Air and Climate Change Branch
Ground Water Section
3rd Floor, 2975 Jutland Road
Victoria, B.C., 387-9932

OIL & GAS WELLS

EMPR Maintain a file of all oil and gas wells drilled in the province. Bulk of the information is for the Peace River area, though there are some sites in the Fraser Valley, Gulf Islands, Queen Charlotte Islands, Nanaimo, Fernie Basin, and Cariboo Chilcotin. These logs may be of limited usefulness, as overburden is generaly not well differentiated or described on logs. Most holes have downhole geophysical information available, though usually in bedrock only.

EMPR - Well Information Services
Room 437, 617 Government Street
Victoria, B.C., 356-2743

GEOTECHNICAL TEST HOLES

Geotechnical boreholes provide useful information for ground water mapping. However, there is no central source for this type of information. Ministry of Transport and Highways have extensive holdings of geotechnical information.

Ground Water Chemistry

Most ground water chemistry data collected by the province is included in the SEAM DataBase. This includes analyses of ground water samples obtained by MOE personnel as part of regional or site specific investigations. Groundwatwer data does not include an identifier to indicate the coresponding well log record on file with the Ground Water Section so it is diffucult to relate data to a particular aquifer at a certain location. The SEAM database includes data from the Federal NAQUADAT database; however, as with other data on SEAM, cross referencing to well logs is difficult.

MoE
Laboratory Services and Systems
Management Section
777 Broughton Street
Victoria, B.C., 387-9962

The Water Quality Check Program provides subsidized laboratory analyses for private water users province wide, and many thousands of analyses are available as paper files. Water quality analyses include tests for selected chemical parameters, but do not include checks for sodium, chloride, carbonate, bicarbonate, and sulfate - all of which are necessary data elements for understanding the chemical evolution of ground water. Chemisty data do not include a well identifier to cross reference to well log - therefore it is very difficult to determine the location or depth from which a ground water analysis originates. Also, as water samples not obtained directly from source, may not be representative of true ground water quality.

MoE - Ground Water Section
as above

The MOH maintains a database of routine water quality monitoring data for private water utilities. However, data does not includes a water well identifier so it is difficult to determine origin of sample. Analyses include tests for basic potability, and in some cases THM's. Data is downloadable by diskette.

MoH - Public Health Protection
Lower Main - 1520 Blanshard St.
Victoria, B.C., 387-2696

Ground Water chemistry data is also available for specific ground water related studies conducted throughout the province by the MOE Ground Water Section, private consultants, and Environment Canada.

Ground Water Level Information

DESCRIPTION AGENCY OBSERVATION WELL NETWORK

The Ground Water Section maintains some 149 active ground water observation stations, 82 of these have charts recorders and the others are manual. Charts are changed monthly. Charts themselves are not in digital format though the monthly water level readings are.

MoE - Ground Water Section
as above

Lists water levels measured by driller at time well was drilled - accuracy is problematic.

MoE - Ground Water Section, as above

Ground water level data is also available for specific ground water related studies conducted throughout the province by the MoE Ground Water Section, private consultants, and Environment Canada. Possible sources of such data are indicated in the section on ground water studies.

Reports on Ground Water Conditions

DESCRIPTION and AGENCY NTS DATABASE

The ground water section maintains a computer searchable listing of reports for ground water studies carried out in the province. This includes Ambient Water Quality Studies, consultants reports, and specific studies conducted by the Ground Water Section. This NTS database does not include citations to reports regarding private water utilities which are confidential. All reports in database are referenced to NTS grid.

MoE - Ground Water Section
3rd Floor, 2975 Jutland Road
Victoria, B.C., 387-9932

Hundreds of reports prepared by ground water consultants for community water supplies are confidential, and can only be released with permission from the utility in question. While this has the potential to be a valuable source of ground water information, there is no cataloque of reports on file, and enquiries must be on a site specific basis.

MoE - Ground Water Section, or
MoE - Community Water Supply Section
3rd Floor, 765 Broughton Street
Victoria, B.C., 387-6336

WATER UTILITY REPORTS - INDIAN RESERVES

Several Indian Reserves throughout the province depend on ground water supplies and many of these have had detailed investigations carried out by consultants. The federal government maintains a database of report titles on file, It is possible to georeference locations where ground water studies have been carried out.

DIAND - Technical Services, PWC
#680 - 1550 Alberni Street
Vancouver, B.C., 666-5147

With respect to ground water, Enviroment Canada's mandate is mainly to focus on trans-boundary aquifers. Studies have been conducted and are underway in Abbotsford, Hoppington, Brookswood, Keremeos, Osoyoos, and Grand Forks. Data for these areas is available in digital format, and some reports have been prepared.

Environment Canada - Inland Waters
224 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, B.C., 666-3007