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Access water well drilling reports and data.
The Alberta Water Wells Web Application pulls information from 2 databases:
The AWWID provides information on:
Symbols for these records are goldenrod circles.
The BWWT database provides information on individual water well tests, including:
These tests are primarily conducted in areas of Coalbed Methane (CBM) exploration and development, although some tests done for non-CBM purposes are included. Symbols for these tests are magenta diamonds.
For additional information, see:
There can be several well records (i.e. pieces of information) for the same water well, such as:
The date the work was completed will help to confirm the progression of work that was done on a particular well.
Most well records are not precisely located on the map. If no GPS coordinates are provided when the information is submitted, the system generates a GPS location based on the legal land location provided by the submitter. The system-generated GPS coordinates plot the symbol for the well record to the centre of the legal subdivision (LSD) or quarter-section.
That is why there may be multiple records under a single symbol on the map, or why symbols can sometimes appear to be in the middle of a lake.
Several records, such as well tests, pump tests or chemistry reports may be listed for a single well, each with a different Well ID.
When well work (such as deepening, reconditioning or decommissioning) is done, recorded and filed, Groundwater Information Centre staff may have entered it under a new Well ID instead of adding to an existing Well ID for that well.
Every test conducted on a well under the Baseline Water Well Testing program is given a new test ID number regardless of how many times the well has been tested previously.
Each time work is done on a well (such as deepening, reconditioning, additional yield testing or decommissioning), the details should be submitted to the GIC and each piece of information becomes a well record that gets linked to the GIC Well ID assigned to the first record that was submitted for the well (usually the drilling report for the well’s original construction).
In the past, however, this didn’t always happen. If insufficient information was submitted to enable the database administrator to confidently match the newly submitted information to an existing record in the AWWID database, the new information was assigned a new GIC Well ID. Fortunately, this type of error has been greatly reduced now that most active water well drillers are using the online submission system to report their data.
In the BWWT database, every test conducted on a well under the Baseline Water Well testing program, when submitted, is given a new test ID, regardless of how many times the well has been previously tested.
Compulsory water well reporting was regulated after the mid-1970s, so records of wells drilled before then may not be in the database. If you cannot find a record for a new well, call the GIC during business hours at 780-427-2770 or send an email to [email protected].
If the well was drilled in the past 5 years and the driller's name is known, you can contact the Groundwater Information Centre and ask that the driller submit or resubmit the report.
Compulsory Baseline Water Well Testing began in April 2006, so any tests conducted on wells prior to then may not be in the BWWT database.
In densely populated areas such as lake communities or subdivisions, there may be multiple well records under a single symbol on the map, each without a defining lot/block/plan. Indeed it may be difficult to confirm which database record corresponds to each well on location (in the field). The original well owner’s name, the age of the well, the total well depth or the casing type and diameter can be used to attempt making a match.
Today, water well drillers are able to tag all newly constructed wells with a Government of Alberta (GoA) Well Identification Tag that has a unique identification number. That number is reported by the driller when he submits the drilling report. The GoA well tag identification number is not the same as the GIC Well ID number. The GoA well tag number is a field identification number for the well. The GIC Well ID is a database identification number for the well record. Either number can be used to search for well records on the website.
Prior to 1986, well water samples collected for routine chemical analysis were submitted to various provincial government laboratories and a copy of the results were submitted to the GIC. Those records are available for viewing on AWWID. Since then, submission of water samples has been routed through the Alberta Health Services’ Public Health Centres but a copy of the results are no longer being submitted to the GIC.
Chemical analysis results for wells tested under the BWWT program are available for viewing on AWWID.
Alberta Environment and Parks will make corrections to reports as follows:
A reconnaissance report is a summary of all well records that can be produced using any of the following search criteria by:
A reconnaissance report includes the following legend information:
Colour coding of reconnaissance report based on type of work | |
---|---|
Green | New Well |
Light Green | Deepened, Reconstructed, Reconditioned |
Red | New Well-Decommissioned, Old Well-Decommissioned, Test Hole-Abandoned |
Brown | Spring, Flowing Shot Hole |
White | Piezometer, Well Inventory, Old Well-Yield, Test Hole, Other, Unknown |
The reconnaissance report is colour coded based on the type of work reflected on each well record. A single GIC Well ID could potentially have multiple associated well records; each record provides an historical account of work done on the well.
To locate water wells or well tests on the map:
Click on the Print tab in the upper right hand menu pane and follow the directions.
After generating a reconnaissance report, the option to save and print will be available in the pdf reader document.
Change the page set up default so that margins are at the lowest (or zero) margins setting. Most reports will need more than one page to print all of the information.
If you are experiencing problems, contact your internet service provider, your corporate internet support staff or send an email to [email protected].
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