Groundwater and wellfield protection in New Brunswick

Groundwater forms when rain and snow seep through soil and rock, collecting in underground aquifers. Many communities in New Brunswick rely on municipal wells that draw water from these aquifers. If the recharge area of an aquifer becomes contaminated, it can affect the water supply for entire communities. Protecting these areas is critical because preventing contamination is far safer and less costly than trying to clean up polluted water.

A wellfield protected area is the surface and subsurface area surrounding a water well or wellfield that supplies a public water system. In these areas, there are prohibitions and restrictions on chemical storage and land use activities to reduce the risk of contamination.

Property owners can find out whether their land is within a wellfield protected area by using the Protected Wellfields Viewer and the Property Identification Number (PID) from their property tax form.

Inspections and audits are conducted to ensure compliance. Violations can result in significant fines for both individuals and corporations. For details, consult the full Wellfield protection guide (PDF 254 KB).

Wellfield protection zones and restrictions

The area around a wellfield is divided into three protection zones. These zones are based on the time it would take for a contaminant to travel to the wellhead. Controls on land use and activities in a protected wellfield become less strict with distance from the wellhead, but all zones are regulated to prevent groundwater contamination. Each protection zone has specific requirements and restrictions as outlined below:

Zone A (closest to the wellhead)

• highest risk of contamination and strictest controls
• many potential contamination sources, such as petroleum and chemical storage and certain land uses, are prohibited or tightly restricted
• Other examples of potentional contaminants include septic tanks, sewer lines, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, manure, etc.

Zone B (surrounds Zone A)

• a lower risk of bacterial contamination compared to Zone A, as septic tanks are permitted under strict conditions
• there is still significant risk from petroleum products, chlorinated solvents, other persistent chemicals, etc.

Zone C (furthest from the wellhead)

• lowest risk of direct contamination to the wellhead
• regulations are less strict than Zone B but still apply to activities involving petroleum and chemical products, chlorinated solvents, other persistent chemicals, etc.

Across all zones, these activities and substances are completely prohibited to protect groundwater:

• the storage or use of industrial chemicals such as DNAPLs (dense non-aqueous phase liquids), which sink through water and are very difficult to remediate once in groundwater
• the storage or use of hazardous substances, including chlorinated solvents and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)

For a complete list of activities and substance quantities permitted in a Wellfield Protected Area, please refer to the Wellfield Protected Area Designation Order – Clean Water Act (PDF 65 MB).

Exemptions and requirements

In certain cases, conditional exemptions may be considered. However, they include strict technical requirements:

• Chemical evaluation report: prepared by a registered professional engineer or geoscientist. This report evaluates the chemicals being stored, mitigation measures to prevent spills and monitoring methods.
• Petroleum evaluation report: prepared by a registered professional engineer or geoscientist. This report evaluates the petroleum storage system, and confirms the system is in compliance with all applicable laws, standards and regulations.
• Audit report: confirms that mitigation measures are working. Often required annually for as long as the exemption is active.

Zone A exemptions:

• existing facilities storing Schedule C chemicals, or petroleum amounts over 25 L (for public health, safety or security), may apply for exemptions but must submit reports and follow mitigation rules
• exemptions for other purposes expire within one year and cannot be renewed
• no exemptions are allowed for new facilities that exceed permitted chemical limits

Zones B and C exemptions:

• some exemptions may be considered if petroleum is stored, or chemicals are used for public health, safety or security
• exemptions require professional reports and can expire. The time of expiry varies by Zone and by the amount of petroleum or chemicals stored
• no exemptions are allowed for new facilities requiring storage of chemicals with a permitted quantity of zero