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Water testing Manitoba • 1,098 Registered Wells
RM of Prairie Lakes Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology
Regional groundwater summary • GWDrill Historical Log Extraction
Bottom Line Up Front
In RM of Prairie Lakes, the median completed well is 72 ft deep.
A published hardness range for this place and aquifer is under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃. That is a regional estimate, not a test of your well. Source: Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands.
Most production draws from SHALE (about 50% 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 & Geological Stratigraphy (From Local Driller Logs)
Drag the indicator line or tap a geological stratum below to read the recorded depth range
Drilling in: Sedimentary Shale Formation (10–150 ft)Fractured Shale Aquifer
Modelled Depth
72 FT
Area median
Drilling cost
$5,040–$10,800
Estimate
Published hardness
under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃
0 ft (Surface)Median 72 ft447 ft (Deep)
Glacial Lacustrine Clay & Silt
Sedimentary Shale Formation
Sand & Gravel Aquifer
From local driller logs:
From local driller logs.
Well Statistics
Local measurements compared against Manitoba provincial benchmarks.
Total Registered Wells 1,098
Median Well Depth 72 ft
MB benchmark: 88 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 90.7 ft
Recorded Depth Range 3 – 395 ft
Dominant Aquifer SHALE
Hardness under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands
Drilling cost $5,040–$10,800 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 0% of wells
| Hydrogeological Metric | From the registry or a cited study | MB Provincial Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Total Registered Wells | 1,098 | — |
| Median Well Depth | 72 ft | 88 ft provincial median |
| Average Well Depth | 90.7 ft | — |
| Recorded Depth Range | 3 – 395 ft | — |
| Dominant Aquifer | SHALE | — |
| Hardness | under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands | — |
| Drilling cost | $5,040–$10,800 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot | — |
| Domestic Household Use | 0% of wells | — |
Where This Report Applies
Approximate boundary of RM of Prairie Lakes
Shaded area is an approximate municipal outline for orientation only. Well records are aggregated across the entire RM of Prairie Lakes.
Depth Distribution
Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 72 ft. Recorded depths cover 956 wells.
0–49 ft 30.4% · 291
49–98 ft 34.9% · 334
98–148 ft 17.3% · 165
148–197 ft 8.8% · 84
197–295 ft 7.9% · 76
295–394 ft 0.5% · 5
394–591 ft 0.1% · 1
591+ ft 0% · 0
Median depth of 72 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.
Sedimentary Shale Formation Fractured Shale Aquifer
50.2% 551 of 1,098 Fractured sedimentary shale formation (including Odanah / Pierre members). Characterized by high total dissolved solids (TDS) and potential sulfur/iron compounds.
Sand & Gravel Aquifer Glacial Drift Aquifer
24.7% 271 of 1,098 Shallow to intermediate glacial drift aquifer deposited in alluvial channels or outwash plains. Yields softer water but requires continuous sediment filtration and shallow bacterial monitoring.
Undifferentiated Aquifer Regional Formation
24.4% 268 of 1,098 Unclassified hydrogeological formation from legacy provincial drill records.
Glacial Drift Silt & Till Protective Overburden
0.5% 5 of 1,098 Dense, low-permeability clay-rich glacial deposits with localized silt lenses. Serves as a natural confining barrier protecting deeper aquifers from surface contamination.
Sandstone Bedrock Formation Basal Bedrock Aquifer
0.2% 2 of 1,098 Deep basal sandstone bedrock unit (including Winnipeg Formation). Supplies exceptionally stable yields; often exhibits moderate mineral hardness with silica-rich water.
Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer
0.1% 1 of 1,098 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.
317 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.
Estimate
under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃
Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands. Regional estimate, not a test of your well.
Health Canada. Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Operational Parameters.
No measured government test within 25 km. Test your water.
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 270 wells · avg 82 ft
1970s 135 wells · avg 92 ft
1980s 194 wells · avg 88 ft
1990s 92 wells · avg 98 ft
2000s 158 wells · avg 90 ft
2010s 120 wells · avg 88 ft
2020s 53 wells · avg 95 ft
63% 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 RM of Prairie Lakes
Local Contractors
Licensed Water Well Drillers Serving RM of Prairie Lakes
Because water wells in RM of Prairie Lakes average 72 ft into shale, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.
Fred A. Zavislak Well Drilling Ltd.
Yard: Brandon, MB (60.4 km away)
★ 4.5
(8 Google reviews)
Westman Drilled Wells Deep Sand Screens Residential Acreages
Rob Smith & Son Drilling
Yard: Neepawa, MB (94.2 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Riding Mountain Slopes Delta Sand Aquifers Farm & Acreage Supply
MacKay Drilling & Pumps
Yard: Warren, MB (166.2 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Submersible Pumps Pressure Tanks Bedrock Casing
Armstrong Drilling Ltd.
Yard: Headingley, MB (166.6 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Residential Wells Carbonate Bedrock Pump Systems
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about water wells in RM of Prairie Lakes.
What is the median well depth in RM of Prairie Lakes?
Among 956 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 71.5 ft (21.7932 m).
Which aquifer is recorded most often in RM of Prairie Lakes?
The most frequently recorded producing aquifer is SHALE, on 551 of 1098 wells with a producing aquifer name.
Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records
Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths