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British Columbia • 3,647 Registered Wells

North Okanagan Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology

Regional groundwater summary • British Columbia Historical Log Extraction

Bottom Line Up Front

In North Okanagan, the median completed well is 141 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 39% 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 (30–400+ ft)Glacial Drift Aquifer

Modelled Depth

141 FT

Area median

Drilling cost

$9,870–$21,150

Estimate

Published hardness

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

0 ft (Surface)Median 141 ft400 ft (Deep)
Topsoil & Surficial Organics
Sand & Gravel Aquifer
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 3,647
Median Well Depth 141 ft
BC benchmark: 162 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 186.6 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 $9,870–$21,150 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 78% of wells

Where This Report Applies

Approximate boundary of North Okanagan

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

Depth Distribution

Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 141 ft. Recorded depths cover 3,565 wells.

0–49 ft 24.3% · 865
49–98 ft 16.5% · 589
98–148 ft 10% · 355
148–197 ft 8.8% · 315
197–295 ft 17% · 605
295–394 ft 10% · 358
394–591 ft 10.4% · 371
591+ ft 3% · 107

Median depth of 141 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 1,794 of these 3,647 wells.

Undifferentiated Aquifer Regional Formation
38.7%

1,410 of 3,647 Unclassified hydrogeological formation from legacy provincial drill records.

Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer
10.5%

384 of 3,647 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.

240 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 North Okanagan.

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.

OBS WELL 117 - ARMSTRONG (OTTER LAKE CROSS RD.), 7.84 km away, nearby.

5 government lab tests, dated 1985–2009.

These results are old (tested 1985–2009).

Hardness 148–170 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 152.6.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 5 government lab tests.

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

BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results: Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network wells Open Government Licence - British Columbia

Drilling Activity

Historical permit and construction activity by decade.

Pre-1970 710 wells
1970s 140 wells
1980s 198 wells
1990s 320 wells
2000s 549 wells
2010s 498 wells
2020s 460 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 North Okanagan

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 0.022 mg/L.

Iron and manganese guide
4

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 North Okanagan

Because water wells in North Okanagan average 141 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 (18.3 km away)

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

Bud’s Water Wells Ltd.

Yard: Kamloops, BC (76.9 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 (243.4 km away)

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

JR Drilling

Yard: Cranbrook, BC (260.5 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Kootenay Mountain Bedrock Domestic Water Wells Artesian Flow Management

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about water wells in North Okanagan.

What is the median well depth in North Okanagan?

Among 3565 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 141.0 ft (42.98 m).

Which aquifer is recorded most often in North Okanagan?

The most frequently recorded producing aquifer is Unconsolidated, on 1410 of 1794 wells with a producing aquifer name.

Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records

Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths

Nearby communities