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Wells

Approximately three million Ontarians depend on wells for their supply of clean, safe drinking water. Everyone who owns, constructs or uses a well can do their part to help protect groundwater quality and the health of the people who drink it every day.

Well owners are legally responsible for wells on their property, and should be familiar with the laws that affect them. Ontario’s Wells Regulation (Reg. 903) sets rules for who can construct or work on a well and construction standards for all new wells.

The following links can assist well owners, contractors and technicians. A full copy of the Wells Regulation is available, as well as helpful fact sheets for well owners on constructing, maintaining and decommissioning (abandoning) a well.

For further information about Ontario’s groundwater resources, please consult the “Groundwater” section of the MOE web site. Copies of any materials pertaining to wells or groundwater can be obtained by calling the MOE Public information Centre at 1-800-565-4923.

Well Records

If you would like to order a copy of the official well record for your water well, please contact the ministry's Water Wells Searchline at:
1-888-396-WELL(9355).

• Water Well Record Request forms

Key documents

• 4326e01 Tagging Ontario's Wells [PDF] [HTML Format]
  As of August 1, 2003, all new drinking water wells constructed in Ontario must be affixed with a well tag. This booklet is a guide for well technicians on how to affix a well tag properly to different types of wells.
• Full text of the regulation on e-Laws: Wells - R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 903 (in english only)
• Green Facts - helpful information on well types, construction and maintenance, and plugging abandoned wells

Ministry of the Environment Wells Publications

• General Interest Catalogue: Water Wells and Groundwater Publications
• Forms, Manuals and Guidelines Catalogue: Groundwater and Water Management Publications
• Technical Documents Catalogue: Groundwater Publications

More Information

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Website

This site has information on care and maintenance of private wells; including, what to do in times of water shortage, maintaining water quality, protecting drinking water and proper construction and abandonment of wells.

• Water Well Publications (OMAFRA)
• Private Water Well Owners - Dealing With Water Shortages (OMAFRA)

Ontario Federation of Agriculture Website

• Baseline Water Well Testing Program (OFA)
• Best Management Practices - Water Wells (OFA)

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