Groundwater is the largest part of our hydrological cycle and forms the supportive circulatory system of the Rideau River Watershed. It is also the main source of our in-land drinking water supply. Our aquifers, which are mainly in our bedrock, are used throughout the watershed for municipal and private drinking water supply systems, including tens of thousands of private wells.
Unfortunately, these aquifers are also extremely vulnerable to contamination. About 90% of the watershed’s shallow aquifers have been formally designated by the Mississippi-Rideau Drinking Water Source Protection program as Highly Vulnerable Aquifers (HVA).They are close to the surface and lack enough overlying protective soil to prevent pollutants from nearby land uses from getting in.
Currently, the RVCA’s groundwater program is focused on being a source of technical expertise, for regulatory and municipal planning decisions, about maintaining local hydrological cycles to prevent the worsening of flood and erosion hazards, including with respect to the protection of wetlands. The program also manages the local involvement in the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network and assists the Source Water Protection program.
RVCA also participates in the following initiatives:
Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network
Since about 2001, groundwater levels have been recorded continuously in 17 monitoring wells at 14 different locations across the watershed, as part of the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN) Program. This program uses long-term regional groundwater monitoring to identify potential changes in background groundwater quality or levels.
Source Water Protection
The Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region (MRSPR) includes both the Rideau Valley and Mississippi Valley watersheds and works with landowners in drinking water protection zones to reduce contamination risks for surface and groundwater drinking water sources. RVCA co-ordinates this work on behalf of both conservation authorities, undertaking a number of technical studies and the development of source protection plan policies for the MRSPR to protect shared municipal drinking water sources within our watersheds. Learn more at mrsourcewater.ca.
Find Groundwater Data
2023 Watershed Conditions Report
The RVCA’s 2023 Watershed Conditions Report includes our most comprehensive compilation of groundwater water quality and quantity data.
Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network
The Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN) datasets report on ambient (baseline) groundwater level and chemistry conditions.
PGMN Data can be found on the Government of Ontario website.
Private Well Records
You can search your property’s private well records on the Government of Ontario’s website.
