Well construction and protection
A properly built well protects the water from potential contaminants both above and below the ground.
Municipal well-based systems or privately owned wells provide clean water to rural parts of Caledon.
Private well water comes from aquifers under the ground.
As a private well owner, it's your responsibility to:
- Properly operate and maintain the well to ensure safe, reliable drinking water.
- Have the well professionally decommissioned when it's no longer being used.
A properly built and maintained well:
- Protects the water from potential contaminants both above and below the ground.
- Protects the people that use it from potentially serious health and safety hazards.
Peel Public Health provides information on how to test your well for bacteria to ensure private well water is safe to drink.
Private well construction and abandonment records
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) houses a private well database. This database contains well decommissioning and well construction records across the province of Ontario.
You can use an interactive map to search an address or area to see if there are any construction or decommissioning records at that specific location.
For more information visit MECP Well Records Database.
Private well protection and well interference
Our Water Resources team responds to public enquiries and requests regarding interference with private well supplies within Peel. We strive to meet regulatory compliance. We also ensure documentation of consumer complaints and steps taken to determine the cause of the problem.
We coordinate with external agencies as required and in accordance to regulations when addressing your requests or concerns about your private wells. If an external agency does not take the proper action to solve the issue, we'll do our best to find a solution.
If you're concerned about how nearby projects might be impacting your private well or have any other issues, contact us.
Other information
The Ontario Wells Regulation governs the construction, maintenance, and decommissioning (sealing) of private wells.
If you're building a new well, you must:
- Hire a Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) licensed well contractor to assess the best location for that well. MECP-licenced well contractors are qualified to perform any work related to your well and will advise you on the best location.
- Line the well with a watertight casing (well casing) designed to keep contaminants out.
