1
Test kit
estimate, confirm with a lab testA test of your own well comes before any equipment. Test for coliform bacteria.
Water testing Ontario • 13,632 Registered Wells
Muskoka Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology
Regional groundwater summary • Ontario Historical Log Extraction
Bottom Line Up Front
In Muskoka, the median completed well is 205 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 Crystalline Bedrock (about 75% 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
205 FT
Area median
Drilling cost
$14,350–$30,750
Estimate
Published hardness
under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃
0 ft (Surface)Median 205 ft500 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 Ontario provincial benchmarks.
Total Registered Wells 13,632
Median Well Depth 205 ft
ON benchmark: 103 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 227.3 ft
Dominant Aquifer Crystalline Bedrock
Hardness under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands
Drilling cost $14,350–$30,750 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 96% of wells
| Hydrogeological Metric | From the registry or a cited study | ON Provincial Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Total Registered Wells | 13,632 | — |
| Median Well Depth | 205 ft | 103 ft provincial median |
| Average Well Depth | 227.3 ft | — |
| Dominant Aquifer | Crystalline Bedrock | — |
| Hardness | under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands | — |
| Drilling cost | $14,350–$30,750 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot | — |
| Domestic Household Use | 96% of wells | — |
Where This Report Applies
Approximate boundary of Muskoka
Shaded area is an approximate municipal outline for orientation only. Well records are aggregated across the entire Muskoka.
Depth Distribution
Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 205 ft. Recorded depths cover 13,596 wells.
0–49 ft 7% · 952
49–98 ft 11.9% · 1,618
98–148 ft 15.1% · 2,059
148–197 ft 10.9% · 1,478
197–295 ft 20.9% · 2,836
295–394 ft 19.4% · 2,641
394–591 ft 14.1% · 1,915
591+ ft 0.7% · 97
Median depth of 205 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 13,553 of these 13,632 wells.
Precambrian Crystalline Bedrock (Granite) Crystalline Bedrock Aquifer
74.7% 10,182 of 13,632 Crystalline Canadian Shield rock. Yields soft, slightly acidic water with minimal dissolved solids, relying on secondary fracture networks for groundwater storage.
Sand & Gravel Aquifer Glacial Drift Aquifer
11.5% 1,573 of 13,632 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.
Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer
10.5% 1,433 of 13,632 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.
Glacial Lacustrine Clay & Silt Confining Aquitard
2.6% 356 of 13,632 Impermeable glaciolacustrine clay and silt deposits formed in ancient glacial lakes. Acts as an effective regional aquitard confining underlying aquifers.
Sandstone Bedrock Formation Basal Bedrock Aquifer
0.1% 7 of 13,632 Deep basal sandstone bedrock unit (including Winnipeg Formation). Supplies exceptionally stable yields; often exhibits moderate mineral hardness with silica-rich water.
Sedimentary Shale Formation Fractured Shale Aquifer
0% 2 of 13,632 Fractured sedimentary shale formation (including Odanah / Pierre members). Characterized by high total dissolved solids (TDS) and potential sulfur/iron compounds.
1,735 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 750 wells
1970s 1,356 wells
1980s 2,022 wells
1990s 2,694 wells
2000s 3,160 wells
2010s 2,011 wells
2020s 1,565 wells
41% 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 Muskoka
Local Contractors
Licensed Water Well Drillers Serving Muskoka
Because water wells in Muskoka average 205 ft into crystalline bedrock, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.
G. Hart & Sons Well Drilling Ltd.
Yard: Fenelon Falls, ON (82.6 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Kawartha Lakes Cottage Wells Precambrian Granite Hydrofracturing
Drury Well Drilling Ltd.
Yard: Barrie, ON (85.4 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Simcoe County Bedrock Residential Drinking Wells Pump Diagnostics
Jim Wilson Well Drilling Ltd.
Yard: Waterloo, ON (204.9 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Rotary Air & Mud Drilling Commercial High Yield Decommissioning
Rhude Well Drilling
Yard: Greater Sudbury, ON (209.2 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Sudbury Basin Bedrock Shield Granite Drilling Hydrofracturing
Looking for more regional well drillers?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about water wells in Muskoka.
What is the median well depth in Muskoka?
Among 13596 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 205.1 ft (62.5 m).
Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records
Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths