Autumn Groundwater Well Sampling is Well Underway (UTRCA Weekly, November 19, 2021)
October and November are a busy time for Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff who are collecting water samples and groundwater supply data at monitoring wells across the Upper Thames watershed. The UTRCA has 28 groundwater monitoring wells that are part of the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN), and additional monitoring wells with the City of London at sites including Sifton Bog.
The wells are sampled for a suite of water quality parameters to assist in understanding emerging issues in local groundwater quality. Each well station is also instrumented to take continuous water level measurements. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks launched the province-wide groundwater monitoring program as a result of the significant drought years in 1998 and 1999. A comprehensive system of groundwater monitoring wells was installed across the upper Thames River watershed as part of this effort. The data is used in-house by the Low Water Response Team for the Ontario Low Water Response Program. The water quality and quantity data is used for plan review and is available at the PGMN website.
Karen Maaskant, Water Quality Specialist, shared the importance of this work, saying, “These monitoring programs are an important part of understanding the quality and supply of groundwater in this region. As we continue to see patterns of more extreme weather, including times of drought, having good scientific information will help for local decision-making on actions to protect groundwater. This is a valuable resource we all share and rely on.”
This year, wet weather from August to October (approximately 50% to 75% above normal precipitation) created good conditions for water to recharge local aquifers and well supplies. This recharge is important as groundwater levels, measured at our monitoring wells, were lower at the end of 2020 and continued to be below normal levels this past spring as a result of reduced precipitation.
Groundwater is an important resource as a drinking water supply for municipal and private wells across the watershed. It is also vital to the supply of water in the Thames River system and for natural areas, such as wetlands.