Canwell 2004

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Canwell 2004
Overview of groundwater information found on the
Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection web
site
By Kevin Ronneseth Water, Air, Climate Change
Branch Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection
Kelowna, April 24, 2004
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Outline

• BCs groundwater web site
• Water well data (and data entry)
• Groundwater reference library
• Observation Well and Ambient Groundwater Quality
  Monitoring networks
• Fact Sheets
• Aquifers and the Internet Mapping Application

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BCs Groundwater Web Site Over View

• Provincial database initiated in the 1960s
• Province started using the Web to display
  groundwater information in the mid 1990s
• The key web address to note is
  http//wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/gws/gwis.html
• Today, Web strategy and e-government are key
  service plan objectives of the Provinces mandate

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Water Well Data

• Water well data input
• Free software (well drilling data capture system)
  to enter groundwater data into a database
• Water well data output
• Using word search criteria to access water well
  data
• Using maps to access water well data

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Water Well Data Input

• The Well Drilling Data Capture System
• designed to provide drillers with a database that
  is compatible with the Provinces database,
• developed with the cooperation and assistance of
  the British Columbia Groundwater Association,
• drillers are able to organize and maintain their
  own water well data, print out water well records
  for customers and export data selected by the
  driller to the WELL database.     

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The Well Drilling Data Capture System
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Number of Wells on File

• To date, over 80,000 wells entered in the Wells
  Data base
• 65,000 with a geographic location
• 1800 new wells drilled each year

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How to Access the Water Well Data

• Different types of word search criteria are used
  to access water well data
• Well Tag Number,
• BCGS Number,
• Geo Reference (e.g. Street, Legal),
• BCGS Geographic Grid,

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The BCGS Map Grid is used to Identify the Area of
Interest in the Province
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Then further refine the search by identifying the
120,000 map sheet (e.g. 82E.083)
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Other Types of Geo-referencing Include Street
Names and Legal Descriptions
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Water Well Data Output

• Water well data can be printed out in the
  following formats
• Summaries of well logs
• Detailed well logs
• Lithology of well logs
• Specialty outputs

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Well Log Summary
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Well Log Lithology
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Detailed Well Log
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Water Well Data Output by BCGS NumberSpecialized
output for Aquifer Classification Studies
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Specialized Lithology Output for Aquifer
Vulnerability Studies
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Water Well Data OutputMapped Based

• Aquifer and water wells web site
  http//maps.gov.bc.ca/apps/wlap_aquifer/

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Aquifers and Water Wells
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Detailed Well Log
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• Groundwater Reference Library

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Groundwater Reference Library
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Example References

• Code of Practice for Construction, Testing,
  Maintenance and Closure of Wells, BC
• Evaluating Long-Term Well Capacity for a
  Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
• Glossary of Hydrogeologic Terms
• Guide to using the Aquifer Classification Maps
  for the Protection and Management of Groundwater
  in BC
• Framework for a Hydrogeologic Study in support of
  an Application for an Environmental Assessment
  Certificate under the Environmental Assessment
  Act and Regulations
• Unit Conversion Table

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Groundwater Reference Library

• Groundwater Report NTS Filing System
• for listing of Groundwater Reports on File with
  the Water, Air and Climate Change Branch in
  Victoria.
• NTS.082, NTS.092, NTS.093, NTS.094 NTS.102,
  NTS.103, NTS.104 NTS Consultants Reports

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Observation Well and Ambient Groundwater Quality
Monitoring Networks
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Observation Well and Ambient Groundwater Quality
Monitoring Networks

• Groundwater levels monitored by the Observation
  Well Network (established in 1961).
• Many Observation Wells also periodically (every
  few years) sampled for baseline water chemistry.
• Ambient groundwater quality monitored in
  developed, highly vulnerable aquifers by the
  Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network
  (initiated in 1986).
• Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection
  (Water, Air, Climate Change Branch responsible
  for groundwater monitoring in BC).

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Observation Well Network

• Since 1960, 350 observation wells have been
  established. Today, there are 163 active
  observation wells in the Network some
  Observation Wells have close to 50 years of
  record.
• Observation Wells classified into three
  categories
• Monitoring groundwater levels in developed
  aquifers,
• Specific engineering and research projects, and
• Monitoring for forecasting and baseline data.

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Observation Well Network Distribution

• Most Observation Wells located in the southern
  half of BC, in major groundwater regions.
• 3/4 monitor sand and gravel aquifers 1/4 monitor
  bedrock aquifers.
• Typically establish 1- 3 new Observation Wells
  per year.
• Policy to establish an Observation Well in all
  IA aquifers.

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Observation Well NetworkData collection

• 2/3 of the Observation Wells are equipped with
  recorders 1/3 of are manually read on a monthly
  basis.
• Currently converting Stevens F68 recorders to
  Thalimedes data loggers storage of data in the
  Ministrys WIDM database.
• Historic chart data in hard copy format.
• Historic charts for 26 Observation Wells have
  been digitized by Environment Canada in 2002.
• All month-end reading (recorders and manual) are
  entered into Excel.
• Data from Observation Wells reported in numerous
  ways

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Data from Obs Wells are used to Characterize
Groundwater Conditions in British Columbia
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Observation Well Data are Reported in the
Provincial Snow Survey Bulletin

• 10 Key Observation Wells reported regularly in
  the Snow Survey Bulletin for flood and drought
  forecasting.
• Web site http//wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/rfc/river_forec
  ast/bulletin.htm

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Reporting of Observation Well data Snow Survey
Bulletin (continued)
Observation Well No. 2 Abbotsford-Sumas Aquifer
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Observation Well Data are Reporting in the
Provinces State Of Environment Reports
Status and Trends in Groundwater Supply
(http//wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/soerpt/7groundwater/well
sglance.html)
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Access to Month-end Data

• View hydrographs on the web.
• Download month-end groundwater level data from
  web.
• Web site http//wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/gws/obswell
  /wellindex.html

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Monitoring groundwater levels has identified
extent of temporal and spatial declining regional
groundwater levels in the Lower Fraser Valley
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Monitoring groundwater levels has allowed a
better understanding of pumping behaviour in sand
and gravel as well as fractured bedrock aquifers,
to allow development of provincial well testing
guidelines
http//wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/gws/gwdocs/eval_well/
toc.html
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Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring in British
Columbia Objectives

• Examine groundwater quality concerns in the
  province and monitor trends with time.
• Groundwater Quality Concerns in BC
• Nitrates and phosphates
• Synthetic organic compounds including pesticides
• Coliform bacteria
• Heavy metals
• Hydrocarbons including gasoline
• Landfill leachate
• Saltwater including seawater intrusion

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Regional Water Quality Issues and Areas

• VANCOUVER ISLAND - saltwater, fluoride, hydrogen
  sulphide, bacteria
• LOWER MAINLAND - nitrates, saltwater, fluoride
• KOOTENAY- heavy metals, sulphate
• NORTHERN BC - arsenic, radioactivity
• SOUTERN INTERIOR - nitrates, fluoride, arsenic,
  sulphate, uranium, mercury

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Criteria for Selecting Areas for Ambient Water
Quality Monitoring

• Groundwater used as water supply.
• Areas with large community wells.
• Large amounts of groundwater extraction.
• Significant land use activities.
• Shallow water table aquifers vulnerable to
  contamination.
• Alternative water sources not readily available.
• Groundwater contamination discharging to surface
  water.

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Monitoring and Survey Areas Prior to 2002
AGWM location
Identify Patterns of Concern (NO3-N, NaCl)
Surveyed area
Oliver
Grand Forks
Armstrong
Merritt
Keremeos
Osoyoos
Lower Fraser Valley
Cowichan Estuary
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Monitoring of ambient groundwater quality has
identified significant water quality trends
NO3-N versus time, Site A 100-foot monitoring
well, Grand Forks, BC
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Monitoring of ambient groundwater quality has
allowed better understanding of the occurrence
and distribution of NO3-N in this aquifer
NO3-N distribution in the Grand Forks Aquifer
NO3-N gt 30 mg/L
NO3-N gt 10 - 30 mg/L
NO3-N 3 10 mg/L
NO3-N lt 3 mg/L
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Current enhancement of the Ambient Groundwater
Monitoring Network Expanding to all IA Aquifers

• In 2002, increase existing AGWQM Network from
  Lower Fraser Valley, Osoyoos and Grand Forks to
  other parts of BC.
• Use BC Aquifer Classification System to identify
  high priority aquifers expand AGWQM Network to
  all IA aquifers.
• Establish a handful of monitoring sites in each
  IA aquifer.
• for information on IA aquifers and the BC
  Aquifer Classification System, see
  http//wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/wat/aquifers/index.html

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Access and Reporting of Ambient Groundwater
Quality Monitoring Data

• Technical reports and conference papers
• Development of water reporting strategy
• Water Quality Trends in Selected British Columbia
  Waterbodies

• Development of restricted web access to EMS

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Summary of Well Monitoring Networks

• Groundwater level monitoring Observation Well
  Network.
• Groundwater quality monitoring Ambient
  Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network.
• Importance of networks in understanding human and
  natural impacts on aquifers and developing
  policies to manage and protect them.
• Issues data assurance, storage, access and
  analysis and reporting new business needs, staff
  training.

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Groundwater Quality Fact Sheets

• There are seven fact sheets that provide general
  groundwater quality information on
• total and fecal coliform bacteria
• nitrate
• arsenic
• fluoride
• sodium
• iron and manganese and
• hardness.

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Location of Groundwater Quality Fact Sheets
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Contents of the Nitrate Fact Sheet

• What is nitrate?
• What are the known sources of nitrate?
• What are the environmental health concerns?
• Where have high nitrate levels been found in BC
  well water?
• What can well owners and water purveyors do about
  nitrate contamination of well water?
• Well water testing and source protection, and
• Other government information sources on Nitrates.

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Example of a Groundwater Quality Fact Sheet
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Aquifers and the Internet Mapping Application

• BCs Aquifer Classification Mapping Program was
  developed in 1994,
• Search for aquifers by using aquifer
  characteristics developed,
• Gif. files of individual aquifers established,
• Aquifers available in an internet map based
  format in 2002

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BCs Aquifers Classification Mapping System

• Turn data into information for decision makers to
  use
• Build an inventory of aquifers in BC
• Develop map-based products so others can see
  aquifers
• Use the information to assist in management and
  protection of the resource

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BC Aquifer Classification System
Level of Vulnerability
Level of Vulnerability
Classification Component
Inventory of Aquifers
Aquifer Classification System
Level of Development
Ranking Component
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Classification Component
Level of Development
Level of Vulnerability
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Ranking Value Component
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Example Applications of Aquifer Classification
System

• As a local government, where should we be most
  careful to ensure rural development and use of
  septic systems do not impact groundwater quality?
• As a health official, which areas are most
  susceptible to nitrate contamination in
  groundwater used for drinking water?
• As a home owner, can I develop a well water
  supply?

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What the Aquifer Classification System does not do

• Does not provide specific information about
  groundwater availability, direction or rate of
  flow nor aquifer capacity
• Does not show variability of properties across an
  aquifer (e.g., productivity, vulnerability)
• Does not reveal interactions with surface water
• Does not show trends over time (static)

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Status of Aquifer Mapping

• 608 aquifers currently completed
• Approximately 660 aquifers by the Summer of 2004

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• Status
• Of
• Aquifer
• Mapping

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Mappingthe Aquifers around the Chemainus River
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Guide to Using the BC Aquifer Classification Maps

• Assist people in interpreting and using the maps,
• Explains the System,
• Discusses assumptions underlying its design, the
  interpretation of the info. presented, and the
  appropriate use of the maps.

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Main Aquifer Web Page
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Web Page for Conducting Aquifer Enquiries
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Web Page for Displaying a Graphic file of an
Aquifers
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Example of Bedrock Aquifer 124 .gif file
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Web Page for the Internet Aquifer Mapping WEB Site
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Future Mapping on this Internet Site will Include
Aquifer Characterization Maps (e.g. the
occurrence and distribution of NO3-N in the Grand
Forks Aquifers
NO3-N distribution in the Grand Forks Aquifer
NO3-N gt 30 mg/L
NO3-N gt 10 - 30 mg/L
NO3-N 3 10 mg/L
NO3-N lt 3 mg/L
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Future Mapping on this Internet Site will Include
Cross Sections and other Information for Specific
Aquifers
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Summary

• The provincial web sites will increasingly become
  a valuable source for more groundwater
  information
• More of the existing groundwater data will become
  groundwater information and posted on the
  provincial web sites
• The provincial web sites are to become more user
  friendly.