15. WATER WELLS IN PUBLIC WATER SERVICE AREAS

PUITS DANS LES ZONES DOTÉES DE SERVICES D'EAU PUBLICS

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

That Council :

1. Receive this report for information; and

2. Direct staff to consult with stakeholders to explore the benefits of a Management Plan for Wells in Public Water Service Areas and to report back to Committee on the recommendations.

Recommandations dE comitÉ DE L’AGRICULTURE ET DES AFFAIRES RURALES ET LE ComitÉ de L’URBANISME ET DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT

Que le Conseil :

1. Prenne connaissance du présent rapport; et

2. Demande au personnel de consulter les intervenants pour étudier les avantages de se doter d’un Plan de gestion pour les puits dans les zones dotées de services d’eau publics et de rendre compte des recommandations au Comité.

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report Planning, Transit and the Environment dated 13 November 2007 (ACS2007-PTE-POL-0069).

2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 27 November 2007.

Report to/Rapport au :

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Comité de l'agriculture et des questions rurales

and / et

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

13 November 2007 / 13 novembre 2007

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager /

Directrice municipale adjointe,

Planning, Transit and the Environment /

Urbanisme, Transport en commun et Environnement

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Vivi Chi, Manager/Gestionnaire, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Planification, Transport et infrastructure, Planning Branch/Direction de l’urbanisme

(613) 580-2424 x21877, vivi.chi@ottawa.ca

City-wide

Ref N°: ACS2007-PTE-POL-0069

SUBJECT:	WATER WELLS IN PUBLIC WATER SERVICE AREAS

OBJET :	PUITS DANS LES ZONES DOTÉES DE SERVICES D'EAU PUBLICS

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Planning and Environment Committee and the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee recommend that Council:

1. Receive this report for information; and

2. Direct staff to consult with stakeholders to explore the benefits of a Management Plan for Wells in Public Water Service Areas and to report back to Committee on the recommendations.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement et le Comité de l’agriculture et des affaires rurales recommandent que le Conseil :

1. Prenne connaissance du présent rapport; et

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Assumptions and Analysis:

As a component of the implementation of the Groundwater Management Strategy, the City undertook a study to investigate the many types of water wells and reasons for their installation in areas of the city served by City piped water (the urban area, four Villages and a number of other small service areas in the general rural area), with the purpose of identifying any potential issues of municipal significance arising from those water wells.

The issues which may arise from consideration of water wells in the urban/village/serviced/densely developed areas of the city are complex and involve consideration of:

- Growth management, intensification and in-filling objectives;

- The City's development review process;

- The provision of cost-effective municipal services;

- Environmental protection, including protection of groundwater resources;

- Public health; and,

- Jurisdiction between provincial versus municipal interests, regulation and permitting.

A framework for assessing issues and risks associated with water wells was developed during the study, and focused on four sub-groups of wells: Residential Potable Wells; Residential Non-Potable Wells; Non-Residential Potable Wells; and Non-Residential Non-Potable Wells.

Summary of Key Study Findings

1. Water wells for residential potable purposes are appropriate in the private service enclaves inside Public Water Service Areas where City piped water is not nearby or not expected to be available in the foreseeable future).

2. Water wells for residential non-potable domestic purposes inside Public Water Service Areas (with the exception of closed-loop groundwater source heat pump systems) are not appropriate, and where Ottawa can exercise authority, these wells should not be developed.

3. Water wells in Public Water Service Areas for non-residential potable purposes (eg. water for drinking and food preparation, lawn or garden maintenance) are not appropriate for private development; however, they may be appropriate for low-risk public facilities or similar public applications on a case-by-case basis.

4. Water wells in Public Service Areas for non-residential, non-potable purposes (eg. industrial process cooling/washing, groundwater monitoring or dewatering, groundwater contamination containment/treatment, etc.) may be appropriate for both private development and public parks (or similar public applications) on a case-by-case basis.

Next Steps

Based on the findings and recommendations of the study, the need for a second phase of the study has been identified. The second phase of the study, to be undertaken by the Planning Transit and the Environment Department, will involve a review of Official Plan policies in conjunction with the Official Plan Review. Furthermore, Infrastructure Master Plan policies, development review procedural by-laws and application information will be reviewed, with the objective of developing a Management Plan for Wells in the Public Water Service Areas. The findings and recommendations of the next phase of the study will be reported back to the Planning and Environment and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committees.

Financial Implications:

Supplementary phases of the study, including the development of the Wells Management Plan, will be undertaken by staff. Costs associated with subsequent study phases are anticipated to be minor, and involve incidental costs associated with the public consultation program and production of reports. Funds are currently available in account 902570 (Strategic Planning).

Public Consultation/Input:

The focus of this study has been on collecting background information to guide future policy development regarding wells in Public Water Service Areas. Future proposals involving actual changes to existing policy or introduction of new policy, would involve a public consultation component.

RÉSUMÉ

Hypothèses et analyse :

Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre de la Stratégie de gestion des eaux souterraines, la Ville a procédé à une étude pour connaître les divers types de puits et les raisons qui expliquent leur installation dans des secteurs de la ville qui bénéficient d'un service de canalisation municipal (le secteur urbain, quatre Villages et plusieurs autres petits secteurs de service dans le secteur rural général) en vue de relever tout problème éventuel d'importance pour la Ville attribuable à ces puits.

Les enjeux qui peuvent découler de l'étude des puits dans les zones urbaines/rurales/bénéficiant d'un service/densément aménagées de la Ville sont complexes et il faut tenir compte :

- de la gestion de la croissance, de l'intensification et des objectifs à combler;

- du processus d'examen d'aménagement de la Ville;

- de la prestation de services municipaux rentables;

- de la protection de l'environnement, y compris de la protection des eaux souterraines;

- de la santé publique;

- des intérêts, des règlements et des permis de la province par rapport à ceux de la municipalité.

Au cours de l'étude, on a élaboré un cadre d'évaluation des enjeux et des risques rattachés aux puits et une attention a été accordée à quatre sous-groupes de puits : les puits d'eau potable résidentiels; les puits d'eau non potable résidentiels; les puits d'eau potable non résidentiels et les puits d'eau non potable non résidentiels.

Sommaire des principaux résultats de l'étude

1. Des puits d'eau potable résidentiels peuvent être aménagés dans les enclaves dotées de services privés à l'intérieur des zones dotées de services d'eau publics où la Ville n'offre pas de service de canalisation d'eau à proximité ou ne prévoit pas offrir ce service dans un avenir prévisible).

2. Des puits d'eau non potable résidentiels à l'intérieur des zones dotées de services d'eau publics (à l'exception des thermopompes géothermiques en circuit fermé) ne peuvent pas être aménagés et là où la ville d'Ottawa peut exercer son pouvoir, ces puits ne devraient pas être développés.

3. Les puits dans les zones dotées de services d'eau publics pour l'eau potable en milieu non résidentiel (p. ex. l'eau servant à la consommation et à la préparation des repas, à l'entretien du gazon et du jardin) ne sont pas propices au développement privé, mais ils pourraient servir à des installations publiques à faible risque ou à des applications publiques semblables, et ce, au cas par cas.

4. Les puits dans les zones dotées de services publics pour l'eau non potable en milieu non résidentiel (p. ex. le processus industriel de climatisation/de nettoyage, la surveillance des eaux souterraines ou l'évacuation de l'eau, la rétention/le traitement des eaux souterraines contaminées, etc.) peuvent servir au développement privé et aux parcs publics (ou dans des situations publiques semblables), et ce, au cas par cas.

Prochaines étapes

À la lumière des conclusions et des recommandations de l'étude, on a déterminé qu'il fallait procéder à une deuxième phase. Dans la deuxième phase de l'étude, qu'effectuera le Service de l'urbanisme, du transport en commun et de l'environnement, on examinera les politiques du Plan officiel en parallèle avec l'examen du Plan officiel. De plus, l'information sur les politiques du Plan directeur de l'infrastructure, les règlements de procédure d'examen d'une demande d'aménagement et les applications sera revue en vue d'élaborer un Plan de gestion des puits dans les zones dotées de services d'eau publics. Les conclusions et les recommandations de la prochaine phase de l'étude seront présentées au Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement et au Comité de l'agriculture et des affaires rurales.

Répercussions financières :

Les autres phases de l'étude, y compris l'élaboration du Plan de gestion des puits, seront exécutées par le personnel. Les coûts rattachés aux autres phases de l'étude devraient être peu élevés, car il s'agit de coûts connexes rattachés au programme de consultation publique et à la production de rapports. Des fonds sont actuellement disponibles dans le compte 902570 (Planification stratégique).

Consultation publique / commentaires :

L'accent de cette étude a été mis sur la cueillette d'information de base afin d'éclairer la formulation de la prochaine politique sur les puits dans les zones dotées de services d'eau publics. Les propositions à venir visant à apporter des changements réels à la politique existante ou à présenter une nouvelle politique comporteraient un volet sur la consultation publique.

BACKGROUND

Water wells (a well placed to either remove or sample groundwater) may be placed for a variety of reasons and for a variety of purposes, including for irrigation, for groundwater control at construction sites, for drinking water, for industrial cooling processes, for residential ground source heat pumps, etc.

The reasons for placing a water well are not specific to the location of the well. Water wells exist and are placed throughout the city in both urban and rural areas. Also, the processes required to place a well, the possible impacts of groundwater removal and possible risks of contamination of the groundwater are not necessarily specific to the location of a well.

However, just as rural residents who draw drinking water from private water wells have concern about any possible impacts to their water well, there may be some unique issues related to the location and function of water wells in areas where public water supply is available, and more generally in the more dense developed areas of the city typical of the urban area and serviced villages. The issues which may arise from consideration of water wells in the urban/village/serviced/densely developed areas of the city are complex and involve consideration of:

- Growth management, intensification and in-filling objectives;

- The City's development review process;

- The provision of cost-effective municipal services;

- Environmental protection, including protection of groundwater resources;

- Public health; and,

- Matters of jurisdiction between provincial versus municipal interests, regulation and permitting.

As the City has an interest to ensure the long-term health and vitality of its residents and businesses, including the sustainability of the environment and water resources, the study investigated the issues, authority, and the usefulness of the City to consider additional municipal control of water wells. Legislation, regulations and municipal by-laws having potential jurisdiction over water wells have been examined with the objective of identifying means through which potential issues and risks can be addressed. It is recognized that the City has limited resources and therefore would prefer to highlight water well issues that may be of greatest concern.

In summary, the purpose of this report is to identify issues related to wells located in Public Service Areas and outline considerations being given to address issues of specific municipal concern.

DISCUSSION

Across the city, water wells are being used for a variety of residential and non-residential uses, including potable and non-potable purposes. This makes the matter of consideration and identification of issues related to water wells complex, involving matters of water quantity, water quality, municipal economics, land use, sustainable development, and sustainability of groundwater resources.

Document 1 shows the location of residential enclaves serviced by private water wells within the Public Water Service Area. While the general issues related to water wells are common no matter the location of the water well, water wells in densely developed environments and where piped water supply is available do raise unique issues. For instance, extraction of large amounts of water from the ground may cause the ground to settle, depending on geological conditions. Ground settlement is a potential issue regardless of location, but risk may be greater in areas with dense development. As another example, the City’s public water supply system relies on user rates and ties wastewater charges to metered water use. A resident using a water well and discharging flow to the sewer system may not be paying to use the public system.

Document 2 presents the location and types of wells that have been constructed or abandoned within the Public Water Service Area in the period 2003-2006. Examples of water well uses in urban/village/serviced/densely developed areas are:

i) Potable supply for residents of privately serviced enclaves within serviced areas;

ii) Groundwater monitoring wells installed for construction or other purposes;

iii) Irrigation wells serving individuals, City recreation facilities and businesses including golf courses;

iv) Industrial process water including cooling water; and

v) Groundwater source heat pumps.

Water Well Uses, Issues and Risks

1) Residential Areas with Water Wells for Potable Supply

Domestic potable water supply

Issues related to the use of private residential wells are often centered on improper construction and maintenance. Most private residential water wells function without treatment systems therefore rely heavily on proper construction and proper location for a safe water supply. Older private residential wells may be poorly constructed or suffering from aging, with the most common concern being an inadequate grouting of the well casing to prevent vertical migration of contaminants down the outside of the well casing.

Private residential wells can also be subject to water quality and water supply problems. Based on the local groundwater source, water quality can be poor and the supply inadequate for domestic use. For existing wells, some naturally occurring water quality problems, such as hard water, can be managed with the addition of in-home water treatment systems. Impacts to water quality can also be mitigated by responsible land-use practices and by complying with water well construction standards. Conservation, greywater recycling, or drilling a new private residential well can provide relief to residences with inadequately yielding water wells.

Also, the degree of land development and transportation activity in and close to areas served by private residential wells presents some risk to contamination of the groundwater supply. The degree of risk is dependent on geological conditions.

Consideration of New Development

Within the few remaining private service areas, new development, redevelopment and repair and replacement of existing water wells raises the question of continued reliance on private wells for potable water compared to provision of the public water system. Public water could be provided at the request of a community through a Local Improvement Process. But the City also has some interest in supply of serviced land as there may be opportunities to achieve a denser form of development on lands historically served by water wells and septic systems.

2) Residential Areas with Water Wells for Non-potable Uses

Groundwater source heat pump

Geothermal heat pumps are installed as residential, commercial or industrial heating sources. Geothermal heat pumps exist in closed-loop and open-loop systems. Closed-loop systems use a continuous, self-contained loop as a heat exchanger. Open-loop systems use groundwater as a heat source from a water supply well and may extract large amounts of water.

Although traditionally associated with institutional applications (e.g., Carleton University is currently using groundwater to heat and cool campus buildings), these systems are being applied more frequently on a smaller scale at individual residences, often at those residences that already use water wells for their domestic water source.

Volume demand in residential settings would not typically be overly large, but where many systems are installed in proximity to one another the aggregate demand may be an issue from the standpoint of local aquifer dewatering effects and risks to domestic potable water supplies.

Disposal of the groundwater can also pose issues. Open discharge of groundwater involves releasing the water to a ground surface that may ultimately flow to nearby streams, lakes, rivers or ponds, or into the municipal storm water sewer system. Closed discharge, typically into a “recharge well”, may impact the groundwater resource by returning groundwater to different elevations or by introducing some risk to quality.

Lawn care/gardening

Water wells at some locations in Ottawa, for instance at some locations in the Village of Carp where wells remained after piped services were provided, are used for lawn care or gardening. As environmental awareness and the municipal cost of water increases, there is evidence that residents are installing water wells for lawn care and gardening purposes, although this type of use is expected to be minimal due to the high capital cost of installation of a water well.

In residential settings, there would be little concern with this type of water well use from the standpoint of the volume of water usage. Rather, the greater concern would be that any such well may provide a conduit for surface contamination to infiltrate to the aquifer due to either poor techniques originally employed in the construction of the well, or deterioration of the well over time and lack of maintenance/upkeep.

3) Non-residential Potable Water Wells

Domestic potable water supply

Commercial/industrial “domestic use” water wells supply potable water to commercial and industrial facilities for the same reasons as a residential installation (i.e., water for drinking and food preparation, lawn or garden maintenance). This type of well usage is uncommon within the Public Service Area. Where present, any such wells would be used to service locations that are not in proximity to City piped water.

Commercial/industrial water wells used as a potable water supply are susceptible to problems common to domestic water wells. Water quality and supply are dependent on the underlying aquifer characteristics and local land-use practices.

4) Non-residential Non-potable Wells

Industrial process cooling/washing

Industrial water wells supply water to be used in industrial processes such as cooling and washing. Typical industrial usage would exceed 50,000 L/day and therefore would be subject to Ministry of Environment (MOE) water-taking permits. This type of well usage within serviced area is expected to be rare, however may become more common place as rates for municipal water increase.

The most common issue with industrial use of water wells is the potential large quantity of water that may be pumped from underlying aquifers. Water quality is less of a concern, unless the water is also used for potable purposes.

"Common Impacts" - The large withdrawal of groundwater may result in the seasonal or perennial lowering of the local water tables (i.e., aquifer mining), and potentially impact the local water supply for nearby groundwater users. Large groundwater takings may also reduce baseflow in surface water bodies or sensitive ecological features therefore affecting the local environment. The removal of large volumes of groundwater may also mobilize groundwater contamination plumes from local contaminated sites. In addition, potential impacts exist if untreated water is discharged to the environment, and may potentially change the chemical composition and temperature of receiving water bodies.

Also, monitoring and metering of any groundwater disposed into the City’s sewer system presents a challenge to maintenance of rates and income as well as some concern for the capacity of the sewer systems.

Groundwater source heat pump

Although there are some examples of this type of well usage within the city (e.g. Carleton University) and this type of application has traditionally been rare, such systems may be proposed more frequently in larger facilities, such as industrial, commercial or institutional facilities in the future, especially given rising heating fuel costs and a trend towards minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.

Potential issues with non-residential applications are similar to those with residential groundwater source heat pump systems, except the scale of impacts could be larger due to the larger volume of water required.

Groundwater monitoring

Groundwater monitoring wells are commonly installed as part of environmental, geotechnical or hydrogeological investigations. They are used to measure water table elevations, groundwater flow gradients and direction, pore water pressure and to assess groundwater quality. Their use is widespread across the city.

Old groundwater monitoring well records and wells are often lost. In addition, previously installed monitoring wells were not regulated by Ontario Regulation 903, a Regulation under the Ontario Water Resources Act that sets out minimum standards for siting, constructing, tagging and reporting, maintaining and decommissioning wells. Therefore the installation and construction of monitoring wells were often damaged or compromised. Improperly constructed, or abandoned, monitoring wells pose a risk to groundwater quality as contaminated surface water can be routed to the underlying groundwater.

Irrigation supply

Irrigation supply wells provide water for agricultural, park, golf course and in some cases business or residential use. Irrigation supply well usage may exceed 50,000 L/day and would therefore be subject to MOE water-taking permits. In the Ottawa setting, irrigation supply wells can be found at golf courses (such as the Marshes in Kanata and Stonebridge in South Nepean, both of which have Permits to Take Water that include groundwater taking); although not technically in the urban area, irrigation supply wells can also be found in areas such as the National Capital Commission Greenbelt.

Irrigation supply wells can, in certain situations, result in/contribute to Common Impacts to groundwater and surface water that are outlined in the industrial water well supply discussion above.

Groundwater dewatering

Groundwater dewatering wells are installed as a dewatering technique for construction sites or during aggregate extraction. Activation of these systems for construction purposes is usually temporary. This type of dewatering is considered to be fairly common at construction sites.

Groundwater dewatering wells can, in certain situations, result in/contribute to Common Impacts to groundwater and surface water that are outlined in the industrial water well supply discussion above. However, depending on the site or project (i.e. short-term construction projects) the use of dewatering wells may be temporary.

Also, monitoring and metering of any groundwater disposed into the City’s sewer system presents a challenge to maintenance of rates and revenue as well as some concern for the capacity of the sewer systems.

Groundwater contamination/containment treatment

Groundwater contamination/containment treatment wells are installed as part of a contaminant treatment program at a contaminated site. These types of wells are also often used at waste disposal sites for leachate control or groundwater contamination containment. Usage in some cases may exceed 50,000 L/day and therefore would be subject to an MOE water-taking permit. This type of water well usage is relatively common.

Due to the nature of contamination/containment treatment well usage, large quantities of water are often pumped from underlying aquifers.

These types of wells, in certain situations, result in/contribute to Common Impacts to groundwater and surface water that are outlined in the industrial water well supply discussion above. However, the containment, or remediation, of impacted groundwater at contaminated sites has the greater objective of serving to protect the local groundwater quality.

Waste disposal sites often use techniques that include groundwater contamination/containment treatment wells as part of their leachate collection system. These types of systems may also discharge collected/treated water to the municipal sanitary sewer system. The City’s experience suggests that, where this is the case, appropriate approvals (e.g. Sewer-use agreements) are generally in place.

Existing Legislation and Policies

Provincial Legislation

The provincial government exercises proprietary rights over natural resources, including water. The provincial government also has jurisdiction over the management of public lands, over property and civil rights and over matters of a local and private nature.

The following legislation is key to the Province of Ontario’s ability to manage, protect and regulate groundwater resources:

· Clean Water Act

· Municipal Act;

· Planning Act;

· Ontario Building Code Act;

· Ontario Water Resources Act;

· Safe Drinking Water Act;

· Environmental Protection Act;

· Environmental Assessment Act;

· Nutrient Management Act;

· Conservation Authorities Act;

· Health Protection and Promotion Act;

· MOE Guideline D-5; and,

· MOE Guideline B-7 (Reasonable Use).

Document 3 provides a summary of the legislative review and direction for water wells.

Provincial Policy, Municipal Policy, and Municipal By-laws

In addition to legislation described above, there are inter-related layers of provincial and municipal policy and by-laws that can also apply to wells. There are many policies that are specific to wells, or refer to related matters such as servicing, environmental protection, and/or water resource management. The following have been considered in this study:

· Provincial Policy Statement (2005);

· City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003);

· City of Ottawa Infrastructure Master Plan;

· City of Ottawa Environmental Strategy;

· City of Ottawa Water By-law 2003-500 (“Water By-law”); and,

· City of Ottawa Control of Discharges to Sewers and Sewage Works By-law 2003-514 (“Sewer Use By-law”)

A summary of the key elements from these policy documents is provided in Document 4.

Based on the policy and by-law review, the following observations can be made:

1. Allowing new development in Public Water Service Areas to be serviced by private wells should only be permitted for special circumstances (i.e., residential private service enclaves);

2. Any new development on private services (private water supply and/or private sewage disposal) must recognize a future requirement to connect to municipal services;

3. The City can use the development review process (where a new well is proposed as part of the development) to ensure standards have been met and put in place appropriate safeguards;

4. The City can intervene where there are potential issues of cross-connection with the municipal water supply;

5. There are areas where owners must connect to the municipal piped water system, where justified by an immediate concern for public health;

6. The City can intervene if there is an issue with inappropriate (e.g. contaminated well water) discharges to a municipal sewer;

7. The City can establish agreements with private landowners for discharges into the sewer systems, such as for the discharge at a groundwater/brownfield remediation site; and

8. The City may need to partner with the Conservation Authority to address existing wells in the urban area (e.g. by implementing a program to encourage well maintenance or abandonment of a defunct well). It is noted that a Memorandum of Agreement already exists between the City and the RVCA for the provision of general hydrogeological review services.

Evaluation of Current Roles and Responsibilities

Based on the above discussion on legislation and applicable policies and municipal bylaws, an analysis of the current roles and responsibilities for addressing well issues has been completed. This analysis considers the well types/purposes described above, identifies the responsible entity, and the legislation or policy that establishes the responsibility.

Document 5 lists the well types/purposes and identifies the various legislated roles and responsibilities, which are summarized below:

· The City can involve itself if the well is proposed as part of a development application;

· The City can be involved if there is an issue with a well discharging to a municipal sewer (By-law 2003-514), or where there are potential issues of cross-connection with the municipal water supply.

· The City has no direct legislated involvement in the construction, decommissioning, or abandonment of wells;

· Well contractors are responsible for appropriate well construction and decommissioning;

· Well owners are responsible for well maintenance and water quality; and

· Well owners are responsible for maintaining water-taking records (for high volume wells subject to a Permit to Take Water);

How Other Municipalities are Addressing Water Well Issues

A survey of other municipalities was conducted to review “best practices” from other jurisdictions which are dealing with, or that have dealt with, the issues of wells within their serviced and built up areas. The purpose was to obtain any information or advice on their approach to water wells and to understand how they've addressed any municipal issues, in particular, how other municipalities may have undertaken a regulatory or permitting role in the construction, management and decommissioning of water wells, and whether their solutions have been successful.

Surveys were completed for the following municipalities:

· Municipality of North Grenville;

· City of Orillia;

· City of London;

· City of Waterloo;

· City of Kitchener;

· City of Cambridge;

· County of Oxford; and,

· City of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The cities of Charlottetown, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, including the County of Oxford and the Municipality of North Grenville, use groundwater as the municipal water supply. The City of London, much like Ottawa, uses treated surface water as the primary municipal water supply. The City of London also has several back-up municipal well fields in the case of emergencies, and like Ottawa does have existing wells in isolated locations within the urban area. The City of Orillia, County of Simcoe, uses treated surface water and two groundwater wells, however the wells are currently off-line.

The municipal survey and the review of current practices in Ottawa resulted in the following findings:

· There is a recognition that urban and dense development must be on municipal servicing, except in very unique circumstances;

· Municipalities are relying on the development review process as the principal mechanism to address water well concerns and issues;

· Amongst the other surveyed municipalities, only North Grenville, which has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Province, is involved in well inspections;

· Ontario municipalities reference O.Reg. 903 (as amended) in their development review where wells are involved; and

· The requirement for development to connect into municipal services when they become available is a common requirement of development approvals that include wells in future Public Service Areas.

Summary of Key Study Findings

1. Water wells for residential potable purposes are appropriate in the private service enclaves inside Public Water Service Areas where municipal services are not within proximity (or not expected to be available in the foreseeable future). In situations where Ottawa can exercise some authority, the City may continue to permit these subject to a development agreement which ensures that the landowner is required to connect into municipal piped services when they become available.

2. Water wells for residential non-potable domestic purposes inside Public Water Service Areas are not appropriate, and where Ottawa can exercise authority, these wells should not be developed. However, closed-loop ground source heat pump systems which are installed as a sustainable heating solution for residential development can be permitted on a case-by-case basis subject to studies and a development agreement which ensures that the owner provides the necessary safeguards to protect the environment and limit the City’s liability.

3. Water wells in Public Water Service Areas for non-residential potable purposes are not appropriate for private development. However, they may be appropriate for low-risk public facilities or similar public applications on a case-by-case basis.

4. Water wells in Public Water Service Areas for non-residential, non-potable purposes may be appropriate for both private development and public parks (or similar public applications) on a case-by-case basis, and in situations where Ottawa can exercise its authority, the City should permit private development subject to studies and a development agreement which ensures the owner provides the necessary safeguards to protect the environment and limit the City’s liability.

Next Steps

Based on the findings and recommendations of the Urban Wells Study, the need for policy development has been identified. It is proposed to initiate a review of Public Service Area and Private Water and Wastewater policies in conjunction with the Official Plan review. Furthermore, a review of Infrastructure Master Plan policies, procedural by-laws related to development review requirements; and a review of development application information will also be undertaken with the purpose of developing an urban wells Management Plan. Public Consultation is expected to form part of the next phase of the study, and will be designed to hear from interest groups regarding the proposed urban wells Management Plan. The findings and recommendations of the next phase of the study will be reported back to the Planning and Environment and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committees.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

Depending on the use, Urban Wells within the Public Water Service Area can potentially involve pumping large quantities of water from the underlying aquifer. Where daily withdrawals of groundwater exceed 50,000 L/day, wells are subject to regulations and approvals under the Ontario Water Resources Act that require impact studies to be undertaken that demonstrate groundwater withdrawals will not have an impact on ground and surface water systems before such wells are granted permits to operate.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

The focus of this study is on wells located within Public Water Service Areas. Therefore the findings and recommendations of this study also apply to the Villages of Carp, Munster, Vars and the King's Park Subdivision in the Village of Richmond and the Shadow Ridge Subdivision in the Village of Greeley that are located within the Rural area, but are serviced by a public water supply. More generally, the findings of the study are in most cases applicable to all wells. In the proposed next phase of the study, consideration will be given to the context, applicability and impact of any recommendations as they relate to water wells in the General Rural Area and in privately serviced Villages.

CONSULTATION

The focus of this study has been on collecting background information to guide future policy development regarding wells in Public Service Areas. Future proposals involving actual changes to existing policy or introduction of new policy, would involve a public consultation component.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Supplementary phases of the study, including the development of a management plan for wells in Public Water Service Areas will be undertaken by staff. Costs associated with subsequent study phases are anticipated to be minor, and involve incidental costs associated with the public consultation program and production of reports. Funds are currently available in account 902570 (Strategic Planning).

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Public Water Service Area, Existing Distribution System and Private Service Enclaves

Document 2 Geographic Distribution of Well Types in the Urban Area, 2003-2006

Document 3 Summary of Legislative Review and Direction for Urban Wells

Document 4 Summary of Policy and By-law Framework and Direction for Urban Wells

Document 5 Evaluation of Roles and Responsibilities

Document 6 Urban Wells Study Final Report April 2007 (On file with the City Clerk)

DISPOSITION

Based on the findings and recommendations of the study, the need for a second phase of the study has been identified. The second phase of the study, to be undertaken by the Planning Transit and Environment Department, will involve a review of Official Plan Policies in conjunction with the Official Plan Review. Furthermore, Infrastructure Master Plan Policies, development approvals procedural by-laws and application information will be reviewed, with the objective of developing a management plan for wells in Public Water Service Areas. The findings and recommendations of the next phase of the study will be reported back to the Planning and Environment and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committees.