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British Columbia • 925 Registered Wells

Williams Lake Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology

Regional groundwater summary • British Columbia Historical Log Extraction

Bottom Line Up Front

In Williams Lake, the median completed well is 150 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 29% 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 (38–430+ ft)Glacial Drift Aquifer

Modelled Depth

150 FT

Area median

Drilling cost

$10,500–$22,500

Estimate

Published hardness

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

0 ft (Surface)Median 150 ft430 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 925
Median Well Depth 150 ft
BC benchmark: 162 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 178.1 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 $10,500–$22,500 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 88% of wells

Where This Report Applies

Approximate boundary of Williams Lake

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

Depth Distribution

Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 150 ft. Recorded depths cover 917 wells.

0–49 ft 5.7% · 52
49–98 ft 20.8% · 191
98–148 ft 22.5% · 206
148–197 ft 16.7% · 153
197–295 ft 20.6% · 189
295–394 ft 6.8% · 62
394–591 ft 6.1% · 56
591+ ft 0.9% · 8

Median depth of 150 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 488 of these 925 wells.

Undifferentiated Aquifer Regional Formation
28.6%

265 of 925 Unclassified hydrogeological formation from legacy provincial drill records.

Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer
24.1%

223 of 925 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.

40 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 Williams Lake.

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 39 wells
1970s 103 wells
1980s 105 wells
1990s 154 wells
2000s 107 wells
2010s 82 wells
2020s 56 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 Williams Lake

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. One monitoring well near this place has median manganese of 0.1705 mg/L. Another has median manganese of 0.239 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 343.5 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 Williams Lake

Because water wells in Williams Lake average 150 ft into unconsolidated, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.

Cariboo Water Wells Ltd.

Yard: Prince George, BC (194.7 km away)

Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Northern BC Formations Large Diameter Casing Well Screens

Bud’s Water Wells Ltd.

Yard: Kamloops, BC (214 km away)

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

Aqua Source Drilling

Yard: Vernon, BC (286.8 km away)

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

A & H Drilling Ltd.

Yard: Chilliwack, BC (329.2 km away)

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about water wells in Williams Lake.

What is the median well depth in Williams Lake?

Among 917 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 150.0 ft (45.72 m).

Which aquifer is recorded most often in Williams Lake?

The most frequently recorded producing aquifer is Unconsolidated, on 265 of 488 wells with a producing aquifer name.

Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records

Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths

Nearby communities