Well Protection Toolkit

The Well Protection Toolkit is a set of guidelines for the six step approach to developing a well protection plan.

A key component in protecting water supply system wells is the development and implementation of a well protection plan. A well protection plan contains practical, protective measures to minimize and prevent undesirable impacts from land use activities on the groundwater.

Well protection plans are valuable, as they can be added to provincial datasets like the Drinking Water Sources - Protection Zones Dataset and used to inform groundwater protection. 

Objectives of the Well Protection Toolkit

The objectives of the Well Protection Toolkit are:

• Help people understand why protecting groundwater matters, and encourage everyone to play a role in keeping their water clean and safe
• Provide simple, easy‑to‑follow steps that communities and well owners can use to create a plan to protect their local well
• Support communities and water system owners in using the Toolkit to build and carry out their own well protection plan
• Promote good water stewardship in places that rely on groundwater as their main source of drinking water

Well Protection Toolkit documents

View more information about each step in the Well Protection Toolkit to help your community complete a Well Protection Plan:

• Introduction (PDF, 300KB)
• Step 1: Form a Community Planning Team (PDF, 500KB)
• Step 2: Define the Well Protection Area (PDF, 900KB)
• Step 3: Identify Potential Contaminants (PDF, 500KB) 
• Step 4: Develop Management Strategies (PDF, 526KB)
• Step 5: Develop Contingency Plans (PDF, 390KB)
• Step 6: Monitor Results and Evaluate the Plan (PDF, 365KB)
• Example: Well Protection Plan for Pumphandle, B.C. (PDF, 1.6MB)