Township Water Supply Projects


The Township relies on municipal groundwater wells to supply water to residents and businesses. As outlined in the Township's 2019 Water Supply Master Plan, more water supply is needed for growth. This additional supply will come from a combination of optimizing production from existing water supply wells, and developing new municipal supply wells.

This webpage provides information on important projects related to the Township’s water supply.


Fergus Well F2 and Well F5 Replacement Program

Fergus Well F2 has been non-operational since the early 1990s due to its status as a Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water (GUDI) source, which places additional treatment requirements on raw water pumped from the well. Fergus Well F5 is operational, but it is commonly pumped below its permitted capacity due to the presence of elevated turbidity in raw water, which is caused by naturally occurring suspended sand and silt particles.

To regain approved water supply from these locations, the Township completed a well replacement program in 2021 and 2022. This work included drilling deeper wells at both sites (referred to as Well F2R and Well F5R) and pump testing of the replacement wells to confirm sustainable pumping capacity and groundwater quality.

The study concluded that:

  • Well F2R could be operated sustainably at a pumping rate of 20 litres per second (1,728 cubic meters per day), and it is a high-quality groundwater source; and,
  • Well F5R could be operated sustainably at a pumping rate of 20 litres per second (1,728 cubic meters per day); however, relatively high turbidity was still present in raw water.

Since the new sustainable pumping rate of Well F2R (1,728 cubic meters per day) exceeds the rated capacity identified in the Township's Permit to Take Water (409 cubic meters per day), a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) Study is needed to increase rated capacity. The MCEA Study has just been initiated, and it will include stakeholder consultation, public open houses, and updates to Township Council at key project milestones.

Township staff are in the process of reviewing potential short and long-term turbidity treatment options for the Well F5 site, and these works will continue in 2024.

The findings of this study are summarized in a technical report in the document library to the right of this page.

New Well Exploration Program

A total of eight potential new well areas were identified in the 2019 Water Supply Master Plan and subjected to an evaluation in accordance with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) process, which also included public consultation. The evaluation identified four preferred well areas and recommended that they be investigated for possible development as new well sites. The preferred well areas are referred to as Areas 3, 5, 7, and 8.

The New Well Exploration Program included drilling test wells and/or monitoring wells within Areas 3, 5, 7, and 8, followed by pump testing and other investigations to determine if the sites could be developed as future municipal well sites.

The study concluded that:

  • There is good groundwater supply potential at Areas 3, 5, and 7. Area 8 does not exhibit good supply potential;
  • Future municipal wells installed at Areas 3, 5, and 7 should be capable of producing raw water yields in the order of 30 litres per second (2,592 cubic meters per day);
  • Groundwater quality sampling at Areas 3, 5, and 7 suggests that they are all high-quality water sources; and,
  • The potential for pumping from Areas 3, 5, and 7 to adversely impact the normal flow conditions or temperature of surface water bodies such as the Grand River is considered to be a low risk.

Based on these findings, the Township will proceed with initiating an MCEA Study for Well Areas 3 and 7 in 2024, which will include drilling larger diameter wells at these sites with larger-scale pump testing and monitoring. The MCEA Study for Area 5 will proceed at a later time.

The findings of this study are summarized in a technical report in the document library to the right of this page.


2023 Wellfield Capacity Assessment

As per the Township's current Permit to Take Water, a Wellfield Capacity Assessment (WFCA) was required to be completed and submitted to Ontario’s Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks by December 31, 2023. The purpose of the WFCA is to establish the sustainable capacity of the wellfield, such that the Township’s wells can be reliably operated over the long term without causing adverse impacts to other groundwater users and/or the natural environment.

The WFCA included pump testing of all of the Township's municipal wells, with monitoring in the aquifer and surface water bodies to assess the impacts of pumping. The assessment also included groundwater computer modelling to determine the long term future impacts of pumping.

The WFCA concluded that the total sustainable maximum pumping capacity of the Township's water supply system is 14,947 cubic meters per day, which is slightly lower than the Township's current permitted capacity of 15,031 cubic meters per day.

The findings of the WFCA will inform the Township's upcoming Permit to Take Water renewal application, which is discussed below.

The findings of this study are summarized in a technical report in the document library to the right of this page.

Permit to Take Water Renewal Application

The Township's current Permit to Take Water expires on June 30, 2024. As such, the Township is required to apply for and receive an updated permit before the expiry date.

Township staff are in the process of preparing the renewal application, which will be informed by the findings of the WFCA discussed above. The application is planned to be submitted to Ontario’s Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks in the first quarter of 2024.