How To Read Your BC Well Record

If you own property in British Columbia with a water well, your well record contains important information about depth, yield, static water level, and construction details.

But most homeowners don’t know how to interpret it properly.

This guide walks you through how to search the BC Well Database and what the information actually means.  Keep in mind there are many domestic wells in the province which are not registered in the database, as registration was not mandatory before 2005.

The BC Well Database is a public registry maintained by the Province of British Columbia.

It contains construction reports submitted by licensed drilling contractors across BC. These reports typically include:

• Total Depth Drilled
• Estimated Well Yield
• Static Water Level
• Casing Diameter and Depth
• Date of Construction
• Name of Drilling Contractor

You can access it either through the Groundwater and Aquifer website "GWELLS"

https://apps.nrs.gov.bc.ca/gwells/ (recommended for homeowners)

or through the BC Water Resources website (we use this one most often but for your typical homeowner I suggest you use GWELLS

https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/wrbc/

1. Go to the GWELLS website
2. Search by address, parcel number, or map location
3. Search the 3-5 closest wells to your property
4. Open the corresponding construction reports

This is the total depth the well was drilled below ground level.
Deeper does not always mean better. The important factor is water-bearing fractures and formation type.
 

Yield is measured in gallons per minute (GPM).
For a typical home in BC:
5–8 GPM is usually adequate
10+ GPM is strong

However, yield at time of drilling does not guarantee long-term performance.

Static water level is the depth to water when the well is not pumping.
A shallow static level generally indicates a strong aquifer.
But static level alone does not determine well sustainability.
 

Casing protects your well from surface contamination.
In bedrock well inadequate casing can create long-term water quality issues.

While the BC Well Record contains useful data, it does not tell you:

• Current Well Performance
• Aquifer Sustainability
• Pump and Pumping System Condition
• Seasonal Drawdown Effects
• Whether newer nearby wells has affected your supply
• Water Quality Issues or Contamination Risk
   

Many homeowners assume that because their well had 10 GPM at the time of drilling, it will always perform that way. That is not always the case.

• Yield under 3 GPM 
• Extremely deep static water level 
• Minimal casing depth 
• More than 3 Dugs Wells Being Used Within the Local Area (This means the area might be lacking in suitable aquifers)
• Older construction dates (Older than 25 years)
• The well is constructed in an aquifer which is under heavy use 

 We strongly recommend you have a well inspection done by a qualified well driller or pump installer before purchasing your new home.  This should include water quality testing, yield testing, and inspection of the well pumping system.  We no longer offer well inspections, but when we did, our experience has been that 1/3rd of new home owners are misled or lied to. (Either realtors or the former homeowner

If you think you're going to need a new well and live in Surrey, Langley Township/Aldergrove, Abbotsford, Mission, or elsewhere in the Fraser Valley, try our free well cost calculator. 

https://reddogwelldrilling.com/well-cost-calculator

We also suggest you visit our Owner-Builder/Homeowner page if you're in the planning stages of building

https://reddogwelldrilling.com/owner-builder-drilling

If you think you're going to need a well drilled within the next 3 months call Doug directly at 604-761-4506 for a more accurate drilling estimate tailored to your needs.