News Drilling
Unlicensed well installations are both illegal and dangerous, warns Ottawa technician

Ottawa – The owner of Paradise Pumps and PV Water & Plumbing warns that the construction, extension or repair of a well without the assistance of a licensed specialist is both illegal and dangerous.

While well construction poses its own hazards during the building process, including exposure to dangerous gases and chemicals, fall and electrocution risk, the final product itself is something not to be taken lightly, Brendan Montgomery says.

“There’s a lot of reasons why you want to hire a licensed well technician,” he says, citing his 10-plus years of experience in well water services in the Ottawa Valley. “It’s regulated by the Ministry of Environment for the safety of the installers and for the people who are paying for and using the final product.”

Siting a new well or repairing an old one requires more than just a visual examination. Elevation, accessibility, and proximity to sewage and power lines all play an important part and are stipulated clearly in the Ontario Wells Regulation Act. Qualifications and requirements for obtaining and maintaining both well contractor and well technician licenses are set out specifically for protection of the installer and the consumer, particularly in regard to the well construction process to avoid contamination, ensure sealing, and continued disinfection.

As recently as November, Fairhaven residents noticed an increase of E.Coli in their well water due to developments that started – and continued – without proper environmental or health surveys. With developments in Ottawa Valley suburbs like Stittsville and Kanata growing up to 27 per cent annually, well water still remains the only viable option for many of these new houses and developments. With inner city homes like Fairview’s put at risk, there is an increasing worry for those with less serviceable homes on the outskirts of the Ottawa valley.

“At the end of the day, safety is a top priority,” Montgomery says.

While the Provincial Policy Act of 2020 only recommended protecting the quality and quantity of residents’ water by “implementing necessary restrictions,” there is more work to be done by advisory committees both provincially and locally. According to Montgomery, the best way to ensure water is protected is to hire a licensed well technician.