Canada's Well Water Guide
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Alberta • 2,599 Registered Wells

Special Areas 3 Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology

Regional groundwater summary • Alberta Historical Log Extraction

Bottom Line Up Front

In Special Areas 3, the median completed well is 60 ft deep.

A published hardness range for this place and aquifer is 12–288 mg/L as CaCO₃. That is a regional estimate, not a test of your well. Source: Estimate based on Alberta Health private well data.

These municipal aggregates support planning only — they do not replace an accredited laboratory potability test for your own well.

Interactive Well Depth & Modeled Typical Strata

Drag the indicator line or tap a stratum below to read the recorded depth range

Drilling in: Sandstone Bedrock Formation (40–880 ft)Basal Bedrock Aquifer

Modelled Depth

60 FT

Area median

Drilling cost

$4,200–$9,000

Estimate

Published hardness

12–288 mg/L as CaCO₃

0 ft (Surface)Median 60 ft1450 ft (Deep)
Glacial Drift Silt & Till
Sedimentary Shale Formation
Sandstone Bedrock Formation
Sand & Gravel Aquifer
Modeled typical strata:

Modeled typical strata — placeholder from median depth + aquifer type; not local driller logs.

Well Statistics

Local measurements compared against Alberta provincial benchmarks.

Total Registered Wells 2,599
Median Well Depth 60 ft
AB benchmark: 121 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 111.0 ft
Recorded Depth Range 4 – 2727 ft
Hardness 12–288 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Alberta Health private well data
Drilling cost $4,200–$9,000 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 84% of wells

Where This Report Applies

Approximate boundary of Special Areas 3

Shaded area is an approximate municipal outline for orientation only. Well records are aggregated across the entire Special Areas 3.

Depth Distribution

Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 60 ft. Recorded depths cover 2,519 wells.

0–49 ft 36.7% · 925
49–98 ft 32.4% · 816
98–148 ft 11.1% · 279
148–197 ft 6.3% · 159
197–295 ft 5.2% · 132
295–394 ft 2.3% · 59
394–591 ft 3.3% · 82
591+ ft 2.7% · 67

Median depth of 60 ft falls inside the reported range. Deeper completions here usually mean higher mineral content but steadier year-round pressure.

Aquifer Composition

Bedrock and drift aquifers recorded by drillers in this area.

796 holes found no usable water. test holes, observation or monitoring wells, dewatering wells, decommissioned wells, dry holes, no-aquifer holes, and other non-supply wells filtered out of the headline

Water Quality Profile

A published hardness range, when one exists for this place and aquifer. Not a test of your well.

Measured nearby

Measured government tests within 25 km of Special Areas 3.

Soft (<60) Med (61–120) Hard (121–180) V. hard (>180)

USGS (2018) bands reprinted by Health Canada. A range can cross more than one band. This is not a sample.

What this is not

  • Not a laboratory result for a well on your property.
  • Not a reason to size a softener. Size equipment from a lab test.
  • Not a drilling quote. A cost line on this page is a national estimate, not a price for one well.

Health Canada has not set a maximum acceptable concentration for hardness. A wide published range can sit in more than one USGS band.

Survey section: Section 3, Township 28, Range 5, West of the 4th Meridian, 2.3 km away, nearby.

1 government lab test, dated 2020.

Hardness 13 mg/L as CaCO₃ (1 test).

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 1 government lab test.

reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported

Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta: Routine Chemistry, 2001 to 2021 Open Government Licence - Alberta

Survey section: Section 2, Township 28, Range 5, West of the 4th Meridian, 3.56 km away, nearby.

3 government lab tests, dated 2009–2020.

Hardness 126–2,605 mg/L as CaCO₃.

2 tests are above 180 mg/L.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 3 government lab tests.

reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported

Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta: Routine Chemistry, 2001 to 2021 Open Government Licence - Alberta

Survey section: Section 18, Township 28, Range 5, West of the 4th Meridian, 3.72 km away, nearby.

1 government lab test, dated 2016.

Hardness 37 mg/L as CaCO₃ (1 test).

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 1 government lab test.

reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported

Domestic Well Water Quality in Alberta: Routine Chemistry, 2001 to 2021 Open Government Licence - Alberta

Drilling Activity

Historical permit and construction activity by decade.

Pre-1970 745 wells · avg 95 ft
1970s 412 wells · avg 133 ft
1980s 508 wells · avg 137 ft
1990s 126 wells · avg 142 ft
2000s 142 wells · avg 144 ft
2010s 329 wells · avg 87 ft
2020s 248 wells · avg 90 ft

69% of dated wells are over 30 years old (pre-1995). Steel casing installed before 1995 can lose integrity over time. Any older well should get a casing inspection and a certified bacterial test before reliance.

Treatment

Size treatment from a laboratory test

This page does not turn a hardness range or a well depth into an equipment total, a grain capacity, or a drilling price. Read the methodology, the filtration guide, and the products catalog.

Suggested system

Suggested system for Special Areas 3

1

Test kit

estimate, confirm with a lab test

A test of your own well comes before any equipment. Test for coliform bacteria.

Water testing
Local Contractors

Licensed Water Well Drillers Serving Special Areas 3

Because water wells in Special Areas 3 average 60 ft, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.

Suncity Drilling

Yard: Medicine Hat, AB (149.4 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Southern Alberta Sandstone Pasture & Irrigation Wells Constant Pressure Systems

Losness Drilling

Yard: Lougheed, AB (161.8 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Central Alberta Agricultural Rural Residential Wells Shock Chlorination

Gerritsen Drilling

Yard: Strathmore, AB (195.6 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Complete Water Systems Casing Liners Shock Treatments

McAllister Drilling

Yard: Lloydminster, AB (216.7 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Border City Aquifers Overburden Screens Farm Water Development

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about water wells in Special Areas 3.

What is the median well depth in Special Areas 3?

Among 2519 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 60.0 ft (18.288 m).

Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records

Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths

Nearby communities