Groundwater monitoring

We monitor 57 long-term groundwater monitoring wells at 35 locations across the watershed. Thirty-eight of these wells are a part of the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network.

The wells are monitored for groundwater levels and the chemistry of the water. This information is used to support various efforts including low water response, drinking water source protection, climate change studies, planning applications and university research.

Read the Groundwater Monitoring Report (2.9MB PDF) to learn more about groundwater within the Grand River watershed. (Please note this document may not be accessible to people with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a document in an alternate format, please contact us.)

Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network

The Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN) is a partnership of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and all 36 Ontario conservation authorities, including the GRCA.

• The program has 500 wells across Ontario, including 38 wells in the Grand River watershed.
• Data recorders in the well automatically upload the information to us and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Visit the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks website to view the data. 
• The information helps scientists understand long-term trends in groundwater conditions. For example, groundwater levels will change in response to drought or wet weather. Levels can also change in response to changes made on the surface, such as urban development in areas where water used to soak into the ground (recharge).
• Every year, experts analyse the data to look at the chemical composition of the water and to identify any changes. This helps to understand the characteristics of the groundwater and spot potential contaminants.