Groundwater
Western Water prides itself on a practical approach to hydrogeology using experienced professionals located across the province. From groundwater feasibility studies to drilling programs to source water protection plans and ongoing well field maintenance, we provide solutions for groundwater supply projects at all stages. We help clients navigate the Water Sustainability Act to meet your water needs while working with the drilling or pump contractors best suited for your specific program. If a higher-level understanding of your resource is needed, our GIS technicians and resource specialists are proficient in aquifer mapping, hydraulic connectivity assessments and water balance studies.
Technical Support for B.C. Water Sustainability Act Regulations
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Our support ranges from early consultation to preparing and submitting complete water licence applications. We compile supporting information such as well logs, pumping data, maps, aquifer characteristics, proposed flow rates, and annual water-use estimates.
We review factors such as aquifer type, withdrawal volume, intended use, and potential effects, and compare them with regulatory guidance to determine the level of technical assessment required for the application. We also advise on water availability, priority dates, and strategies to optimize long-term water security.
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High-volume water purveyors are often required to report annually on well production rates (peak and average flow), production volumes (e.g. monthly and yearly) as well as water levels in wells. Western Water has years of experience helping clients efficiently develop aquifer monitoring plans and implement monitoring programs to comply with regulations and information needs.
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In areas of water scarcity, regulators may require an assessment of whether an aquifer is hydraulically connected to a sensitive surface water source. Western Water has significant experience evaluating whether an aquifer draws water from or contributes water to nearby waterbodies. Assessments may be completed at a regional scale using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis or at a site-specific scale through review of lithology, aquifer characteristics, and aquifer testing data, including pumping tests.
Groundwater Supply Development
The team at Western Water has extensive experience with groundwater development and it is one of the core services we provide. From individual domestic wells to large diameter production wells, Western Water can effectively evaluate site specific geological conditions and guide a development program from evaluation to production. Our clients range from land developers seeking guidance on residential groundwater development to municipalities, water utilities, First Nations, resort developments and irrigation districts who provide water to thousands of connections. Strong connections to the well drilling industry through involvement in the B.C. Groundwater Association means we know the right contractor with the experience and equipment to get the water you need. Our team has extensive experience in water allocation and helps clients understand and meet applicable requirements under the Water Sustainability Act and its regulations.
All groundwater supplies, in particular high-capacity wells, will provide longer-lasting and more reliable service if performance is monitored and effective rehabilitation techniques are applied when needed to maintain productivity and water quality. Declining well yields are a common occurrence in older wells, and routine maintenance can ensure that water demands are met during peak demand seasons and can save thousands of dollars in distribution costs. Our team has extensive experience in municipal water supply and can effectively diagnose issues contributing to declining yields and implement the appropriate works to restore well performance. Ongoing monitoring (usually done by the operator) is critical to well field management, and we can design and implement a program to allow early detection of the need for well maintenance so that rehab works can be scheduled around peak-use times of year.
Well Maintenance and Management
Providers of public drinking water supplies who utilize groundwater need to work in partnership with health authorities, provincial ministries and members of the local community to protect their groundwater supplies. Effective protection requires an understanding of the local geology and hydrogeology and identifying the potential threats to groundwater quality. Western Water has an extensive background in all aspects of groundwater source assessment and groundwater protection planning. This includes technical tasks such as delineating aquifer recharge and/or well capture zones, contaminant source inventories, and facilitation of technical advisory committees overseeing the development and implementation of protection plans.
Recent source protection clients for which Western Water has played a lead role include the Towns of Oliver and Princeton, the Districts of Invermere, 100 Mile House and Hope, the Mill Bay and Big Eddy (now City of Revelstoke) Waterworks Districts, and the Xeni Gwet’in, Splatsin and Tl’esqox First Nations among others.
Source Water Assessment & Protection
Groundwater Modeling
Western Water has the experience and expertise for the development of numerical groundwater models for a wide range of project scales and complexity. While not traditionally viewed as part of conceptual model development, numerical modelling is becoming regarded as a useful and cost-effective tool at early or pre-project stages, leading to a well-founded preliminary site understanding that is important for guiding and improving the value of further investigation. Applied at a more complex level, fully calibrated numerical models provide a basis for a detailed understanding of site hydrogeology, groundwater – surface water interactions, scientifically-based predictions, and scenario testing.
Western Water’s hydrogeological expertise includes the use of FEFLOW (a finite element numerical groundwater flow model, DHI-WASY Inc.) as well as other commercial numerical and analytical software (e.g., Modflow, Aqtesolv) for groundwater flow and aquifer test analysis, with applications to both fractured rock and unconsolidated geological conditions.
Geothermal heating/cooling systems have become increasingly popular for high density residential and commercial applications. The design of injection and extraction wells for these systems, the assessment of the sustainability of geothermal development in relation to aquifer capacity and the assessment of potential impacts on both groundwater and surface water are emerging issues that need to be addressed. Western Water staff have been involved with the design of open loop systems for cold storage, academic and commercial heating/cooling applications, as well as third party review of open loop, closed loop and enhanced geothermal systems.
This includes well field optimization, baseline water quality and temperature studies, plus numeric groundwater flow and heat transport modelling. We have presented papers at both the provincial and national level on the design and sustainability of open loop systems.
Geo-thermal / Geo-exchange Systems
