Water Protection & Sustainability Branch

The Ground Water Reference Library

Recent Publications

• Report: List of British Columbia's 20 Priority Areas for Aquifer Characterization
• Guidelines for Groundwater Modelling to Assess Impacts of Proposed Natural Resource Development Activities  ( 23mb)
• Hornby Island Domestic Well Monitoring Study (final report 2010)( 1mb)
• The Intrusion of Seawater into the Fractured Bedrock Aquifer
  on East Point Peninsula, Saturna Island ( 2.4mb)
  
• State of Understanding of the Hydrogeology of the Grand Forks Aquifer ( 9.4mb)
  
  

Aquifers

• An Aquifer Classification System for Ground Water Management in British Columbia
• Guide to Using the B.C. Aquifer Classification Maps for the Protection and Management of Ground Water ( 1.39mb)

Ground Water

• Glossary of Ground Water Terms
• Ground Water Mapping and Assessment in British Columbia
  These publications are also available for purchase at Queen's Printer Publications (search using ground water as a key word).
  • Volume 1 Review and Recommendations and
  • Volume 2 Criteria and Guidelines
• The Ground Water Resources of British Columbia
• Ground Water Quality Fact Sheets
  
  These seven fact sheets provide general information on total and faecal coliform bacteria; nitrate; arsenic; fluoride; sodium; iron and manganese; and hardness and their main occurrence in the province.

• Current Ground Water Conditions in British Columbia through selected observation wells.
• Environmental Assessment Act: Reviewable Ground Water Projects

Wells

• Frequently Asked Questions: Water Wells and Well Water Quality
• Should I Get My Well Water Tested?
  From the Ministry of Health  Health Files
• Well Protection Toolkit

Guidance Documents

• Guidelines for Groundwater Modelling to Assess Impacts of Proposed Natural Resource Development Activities  ( 23mb)

• Guidelines for Evaluating Long-Term Well Capacity for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

• Framework for a Hydrogeologic Study in support of an Application for a Project Approval Certificate under the Environmental Assessment Act and Regulations
  • Framework for a Hydrogeologic Study (older document)
    
    
• Guidance Document for Determining Ground Water at Risk of Containing Pathogens (GARP) Including Ground Water Under Direct Influence of Surface Water
  (GWUDI) Version 1. ( 564kb)
  
  
• Guidance Document for Groundwater information, for an Environmental Assessment of Deep Saline Groundwater Extraction in the Horn River Basin. ( 500kb)
  
  

Maps

• Water Resources Atlas
• IMap BC

Other Resources

• EcoCat: The Ecological Reports Catalogue (search for ground water-related reports here)
• Drinking Water Program (Ministry of Health)