Ontario • 6,877 Registered Wells

Elgin Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology

Regional groundwater summary • Ontario Historical Log Extraction

Bottom Line Up Front

In Elgin, the median completed well is 75 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 Sand & Gravel (about 68% 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 (15–400+ ft)Glacial Drift Aquifer

Modelled Depth

75 FT

Median for this area. Typical range 41–135 ft.

Area median

Range: 0–400 FT

Drilling cost

$5,250–$11,250

Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot

Estimate

Published hardness

under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃

Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands

Pump class: 1/2 HP submersible, 4" casing

0 ft (Surface)Median 75 ft400 ft (Deep)

Topsoil & Surficial Organics

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 Ontario provincial benchmarks.

Total Registered Wells 6,877

Median Well Depth 75 ft

ON benchmark: 103 ft provincial median

Average Well Depth 97.4 ft

Dominant Aquifer Sand & Gravel

Hardness under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands

Drilling cost $5,250–$11,250 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot

Domestic Household Use 81% of wells

Hydrogeological Metric	From the registry or a cited study	ON Provincial Benchmark
Total Registered Wells	6,877	—
Median Well Depth	75 ft	103 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth	97.4 ft	—
Dominant Aquifer	Sand & Gravel	—
Hardness	under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands	—
Drilling cost	$5,250–$11,250 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot	—
Domestic Household Use	81% of wells	—

Where This Report Applies

Approximate boundary of Elgin

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

Depth Distribution

Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 75 ft. Recorded depths cover 6,859 wells.

0–49 ft 31.4% · 2,152

31.4% · 2,152

49–98 ft 29.3% · 2,012

29.3% · 2,012

98–148 ft 18.1% · 1,244

18.1% · 1,244

148–197 ft 10.1% · 696

10.1% · 696

197–295 ft 9.7% · 668

9.7% · 668

295–394 ft 1% · 67

1% · 67

394–591 ft 0.2% · 11

0.2% · 11

591+ ft 0.1% · 9

0.1% · 9

Median depth of 75 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 6,850 of these 6,877 wells.

Sand & Gravel Aquifer Glacial Drift Aquifer

67.6%

4,647 of 6,877 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.

Glacial Lacustrine Clay & Silt Confining Aquitard

28.8%

1,983 of 6,877 Impermeable glaciolacustrine clay and silt deposits formed in ancient glacial lakes. Acts as an effective regional aquitard confining underlying aquifers.

Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer

2.2%

150 of 6,877 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.

Sedimentary Shale Formation Fractured Shale Aquifer

69 of 6,877 Fractured sedimentary shale formation (including Odanah / Pierre members). Characterized by high total dissolved solids (TDS) and potential sulfur/iron compounds.

Precambrian Crystalline Bedrock (Granite) Crystalline Bedrock Aquifer

1 of 6,877 Crystalline Canadian Shield rock. Yields soft, slightly acidic water with minimal dissolved solids, relying on secondary fracture networks for groundwater storage.

2,511 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 Elgin.

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.

YARMOUTH, ELGIN COUNTY, 10.12 km away, in the wider area.

5 government lab tests, dated 2004–2011.

Hardness 137–160 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 159.

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

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

Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN): water chemistry and well locations Open Government Licence - Ontario

YARMOUTH, ELGIN COUNTY, 10.21 km away, in the wider area.

7 government lab tests, dated 2003–2012.

Hardness 199–210 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 201.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 7 government lab tests.

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

Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN): water chemistry and well locations Open Government Licence - Ontario

YARMOUTH, ELGIN COUNTY, 10.71 km away, in the wider area.

19 government lab tests, dated 2007–2025.

Hardness 134–300 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 150.

Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 19 government lab tests.

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

Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN): water chemistry and well locations Open Government Licence - Ontario

Drilling Activity

Historical permit and construction activity by decade.

Pre-1970 1,319 wells

1,319 wells

1970s 1,481 wells

1,481 wells

1980s 854 wells

854 wells

1990s 1,009 wells

1,009 wells

2000s 910 wells

910 wells

2010s 794 wells

794 wells

2020s 498 wells

498 wells

62% 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