Groundwater Quantity Research and Conservation

The municipality of Chelsea adopted a minimum one and two acre lot sizes in order to protect groundwater quality (septic bed density) and quantity (well density). Despite this proactive initiative , it is possible that certain wells in Chelsea may be prone to occasional water shortages (typically, late summer drawdown). Are these shortages due to problems with individual wells or are certain aquifers in Chelsea over-utilized?

To date, H2O Chelsea has used two different approaches to get at the issue of well water quantity. The first was a water survey, issued to all residents in 2003, 2004 and available on our website in 2005. The second is the measurement of water levels in wells (static level program), monitored every month from June to October, to assess draw-down over the season.

Please refer to the H2O Chelsea Year 2 Report (2004) to learn more about this research and the recommendations for future study.

Static Water Level Program

In June 2006, we re-introduced the H2O Chelsea Static Level Program. This volunteer based program was initiated in 2003, where a municipal employee also measured the static water level for houses in problematic areas. This year, all measurements are taken by volunteers sampling the water levels in their own wells. Results obtained during the 2003 sampling season are discussed in the “H2O Chelsea Year 2 (2004): Summary of Water Monitoring Results” available on our website.

The static level of a well is the height of water in the well at equilibrium, attained when the pump has not been used for an extended period of time (approximately 6 hours). Regular measuring of the static level can indicate fluctuations in groundwater levels that serve your well. Therefore, tracking the water levels of the aquifers over a period of time provides information on whether the water tables in Chelsea are rising, falling or staying at the same level.

Volunteers are asked to measure the static water level of their well once per month. Sampling takes approximately ½ hour. The necessary equipment is stored in an accessible storage location at the house of one of the volunteers in your neighbourhood. After sampling, volunteers are asked to enter the collected data in an online form on this website.

INFORMATION COLLECTED ABOUT YOUR WELL IS CONFIDENTIAL

All static water level data will be used solely by the H2O Chelsea project for the purposes of this research initiative and will be kept confidential. Results of the static level program will provide municipal planners with water quantity information that will allow them to make ‘water-friendly’ development decisions in Chelsea. Regardless of the results of this research, we encourage residents to adopt the precautionary principle in regards to water consumption. By taking steps to minimize our household water use, we can work collectively to ensure the long term availability of a sufficient and clean supply of groundwater.

Be aware that it will take many years of monitoring to acquire enough data to accurately determine the trends of our water tables; however, early data does provide useful information. For example, the static level of wells measured in 2004 and 2006 can be compared to each other and to the static level measured when the well was first drilled. Also, one full season of monitoring can show trends of annual water level fluctuations.

Thank you in advance for considering volunteering for this initiative. Your time and efforts are very much appreciated. Please see the Resources for Volunteer’s page of this website for updated versions of the sampling protocols and data sheets. Please do not hesitate to contact the project manager at 827-1124 ext. 226 or by email at statique-static@chelsea.ca should you have any questions or would like to volunteer. We will be holding a training session in June 2006 (an e-mail will be sent out to everyone interested in participating with details about the training) to demonstrate the new protocols for taking static water level measurements.

Water Census 2005

On November 8th, 2005, we mailed all residents of Chelsea their copy of the 2005 Water Census. Your responses to the census questions will give us detailed information regarding well-water quantity in the Municipality of Chelsea. Specific items that we are researching include:

a) are well water shortages that were reported to us in our annual Water Questionnaires random incidents, or are some the result of lowering water tables?

b) does the rate of household water-use impact on the likelihood of experiencing a well water shortage?

c) would residents be interested in implementing water-use reduction strategies to minimize water shortages in their neighbourhood?

The results of this research will assist municipal planners and residents in understanding the opportunities that exist to minimize the incidences of well water shortages. Regardless of the results of this research, we encourage a ‘prevention first’ approach. By taking steps to minimize our household water use, we can work collectively to ensure the long term availability of a sufficient and clean supply of groundwater.

YOUR WATER CENSUS RESPONSE IS CONFIDENTIAL

All Water Census data will be used solely by the H2O Chelsea project for the purposes of this research initiative. Your Water Census will not be added to your property’s file at the Municipal office and will not be made available to anyone other than the project’s researchers .

We thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the Water Census. Your participation in this initiative will assist our community in making informed decisions regarding sustainable groundwater management. Please do not hesitate to contact the project manager at 827-1124 ext. 226 should you have any questions or concerns.

Lost your copy of the 2005 Water Census?!

Water Conservation: Wise-use to Ensure Sufficient Groundwater for Everyone

Regardless of the results of our groundwater quantity research, H2O Chelsea emphasizes that the proactive approach is the right approach. There are many ways that the residents of Chelsea can reduce their use of groundwater.

Why reinvent the wheel? We've borrowed from a great site. Please visit Environment Canada's Water Conservation-Efficiency Site to learn how to reduce your water consumption in the home and outside.