Monday July 5, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Jalen Codrington | Island Social Trends
An important deadline for some groundwater users is coming up in less than a year.
The deadline to apply for a groundwater license is March 1, 2022. If you were using groundwater from a well or dugout on or before February 29, 2016 for non domestic purposes, such as irrigation or industrial use, then this deadline applies to you.
A water licence is not, however, required for household wells, or groundwater used for domestic purposes such as watering lawns.
Existing groundwater users who have not applied by the deadline must stop using groundwater and will lose recognition of their historical date of first use. During water shortages, older licences get priority access to water.
Missing the deadline has costs:
Missing the deadline could also be costly and may include penalty fines, a new-user one-time application fee, and the cost of additional studies to support an application. Application fees are waived for existing groundwater users who apply before the deadline.
About groundwater in BC:
Groundwater is water that is naturally occurring below the surface of the ground. Licensing groundwater helps protect aquifers and streams, along with businesses and livelihoods that depend on reliable access to water. It also provides a fair, transparent, and accountable process to manage water use throughout B.C. and is particularly valuable during periods of water shortage.
Domestic well owners may also register:
Domestic well owners are exempt from licensing and paying provincial water fees and rentals but are also encouraged to register their groundwater well — at no cost — to ensure their well use will be considered in new licensing decisions and during times of water scarcity.
Domestic groundwater users are deemed to have rights to the water they use for domestic purposes. Domestic groundwater users are encouraged to register their well.
Registering your well creates a record of your water use and helps to ensure that your use is considered by the decision makers dealing with other licence applications. Contact FrontCounter BC to determine if your well record already exists in the provincial database. If no record exists, complete a Well Registration Form and email it to Groundwater@gov.bc.ca or mail it to the address provided.
Registration is just for domestic use. Do not complete a registration form if you are a non-domestic user.
- Read the domestic purpose definition in Section 2 of the Water Sustainability Act
- Learn more about registering your well
- Well Registration Form
All users must use the water beneficially and comply with the regulations for protecting groundwater.
