Well Owner Information Package
Well Owner Information Package
Now that you have a well on your property, you are legally responsible for the proper maintenance and abandonment (plugging and sealing) of your well. A poorly maintained or improperly abandoned well could result in contaminated well water and ground water, and it could affect your health.
The following tips will help you protect your well:
Test the quality of your well water on a regular basis and look for changes in the water’s appearance (colour, taste and odour).
Keep surface water and foreign materials (especially insects, snakes and mice) from entering the well by securing the well cap in place and checking your well regularly for signs of rust and wear, cracks, holes or gaps in the well’s structure.
If materials get in your well, safely remove them.
Keep ponded water, vehicles, pet waste, salt and fertilizer away from the well.
Make sure the ground around your well slopes away from your well.
Ensure the well is accessible for future repairs and maintain the minimum above ground height (typically 40cm above the surface).
Check for and identify abnormal sounds. They could indicate wear on the well’s pump, waterlines or electrical cables or other issues.
Check the pump’s efficiency. If the pump is continually running or losing pressure, it may be a sign of a crack or hole in the waterlines.
Ensure your septic system is in good working order and is pumped out regularly to prevent contamination of your well water.
For information on testing the quality of your well water, visit:
publichealthontario.ca (search “water testing”) to request a drinking water sample collection kit for free bacterial testing
ontario.ca/page/list-licensed-laboratories to find a licensed laboratory for chemical testing (note: laboratories charge a fee for this service).
For more information on properly maintaining or abandoning your well:
Visit ontario.ca/propertywells
Call 1-888-396-9355 (WELL)
email wellshelpdesk@ontario.ca
Inspecting your well can be dangerous work. If you are not familiar with wells, let an experienced and licensed well technician perform the work. Hunter Plumbing & Heating is a licensed well contractor through the Ministry of Environment and employs licensed well technicians.
