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British Columbia • 959 Registered Wells

Kelowna Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology

Regional groundwater summary • British Columbia Historical Log Extraction

Bottom Line Up Front

In Kelowna, the median completed well is 160 ft deep.

A published hardness range for this place and aquifer is less than 10 to 180, and groundwater can exceed 1,000 mg/L as CaCO₃. That is a regional estimate, not a test of your well. Source: Estimate based on B.C. Ministry of Environment water-quality checks.

Most production draws from Unconsolidated (about 40% of local wells).

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: Sand & Gravel Aquifer (44–500+ ft)Glacial Drift Aquifer

Modelled Depth

160 FT

Area median

Drilling cost

$11,200–$24,000

Estimate

Published hardness

less than 10 to 180, and groundwater can exceed 1,000 mg/L as CaCO₃

0 ft (Surface)Median 160 ft500 ft (Deep)
Topsoil & Surficial Organics
Glacial Drift Silt & Till
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 British Columbia provincial benchmarks.

Total Registered Wells 959
Median Well Depth 160 ft
BC benchmark: 162 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 203.4 ft
Dominant Aquifer Unconsolidated
Hardness less than 10 to 180, and groundwater can exceed 1,000 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on B.C. Ministry of Environment water-quality checks
Drilling cost $11,200–$24,000 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 85% of wells

Where This Report Applies

Approximate boundary of Kelowna

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

Depth Distribution

Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 160 ft. Recorded depths cover 928 wells.

0–49 ft 24% · 223
49–98 ft 14.5% · 135
98–148 ft 9.7% · 90
148–197 ft 5.8% · 54
197–295 ft 17.5% · 162
295–394 ft 11.6% · 108
394–591 ft 13.4% · 124
591+ ft 3.4% · 32

Median depth of 160 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. Recorded for 583 of these 959 wells.

Undifferentiated Aquifer Regional Formation
39.6%

380 of 959 Unclassified hydrogeological formation from legacy provincial drill records.

Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer
21.2%

203 of 959 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.

154 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 Kelowna.

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.

Drilling Activity

Historical permit and construction activity by decade.

Pre-1970 160 wells
1970s 33 wells
1980s 43 wells
1990s 86 wells
2000s 144 wells
2010s 97 wells
2020s 92 wells

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 Kelowna

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
2

Sediment prefilter

estimate, confirm with a lab test

A sediment prefilter is worth considering where wells draw from Unconsolidated. This follows the aquifer type.

Sediment guide
3

Iron and manganese filter

estimate, confirm with a lab test

Manganese above the aesthetic objective, consider an iron/manganese filter. A monitoring well near this place has median manganese of 0.0247 mg/L.

Iron and manganese guide
4

Water softener

estimate, confirm with a lab test

A softener is likely needed. The nearest monitoring well has a median hardness of 287.6 mg/L as CaCO₃.

Hard-water guide
5

UV disinfection

estimate, confirm with a lab test

UV disinfection is worth considering where wells draw from Unconsolidated. Test for coliform bacteria. This follows the aquifer type.

Bacteria and UV guide
Local Contractors

Licensed Water Well Drillers Serving Kelowna

Because water wells in Kelowna average 160 ft into unconsolidated, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.

Aqua Source Drilling

Yard: Vernon, BC (48.3 km away)

Serves Kelowna
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Okanagan Aquifers Deep Sand & Gravel Domestic Wells

Bud’s Water Wells Ltd.

Yard: Kamloops, BC (104.6 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Interior BC Bedrock Submersible Pumps Pressure Tanks

A & H Drilling Ltd.

Yard: Chilliwack, BC (198.3 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Dual Rotary Drilling Agricultural Irrigation Domestic Wells

Fraser Valley Well Drilling

Yard: Abbotsford, BC (234.9 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Residential Drinking Wells Pump Installations Well Decommissioning

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about water wells in Kelowna.

What is the median well depth in Kelowna?

Among 928 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 160.0 ft (48.77 m).

Which aquifer is recorded most often in Kelowna?

The most frequently recorded producing aquifer is Unconsolidated, on 380 of 583 wells with a producing aquifer name.

Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records

Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths

Nearby communities