How Do I Get A Licence or Use Approval?

Start by contacting Marta Green (greenm@ae.ca) or Jennifer Brown (brownj@ae.ca) at Associated Environmental to get started. Applications for a groundwater licence can be time consuming and we’re here to help. 

We’ll take you through the following steps. 

STEP 1. ARE YOU SURE YOU NEED A LICENCE?

Domestic water users may not need a license for a well, but registering your well is still a good idea. Domestic users have new rights under the BC WSA. These rights include the use groundwater for domestic use, which is defined as using water for:

• Drinking, food preparation, and sanitation
• Fire prevention
• Watering animals kept for household use or as pets
• Watering of a garden not exceeding 1,000 m²  

STEP 2. REGISTER FOR A BCEID 

You’ll want to create an online BCeID so that you can save your application process. The application process can take some time. While it may be possible to complete the application within one single login, it will likely be helpful to set up an online account with the BC Government so that you can save and go back into the application over time.

STEP 3: COLLECT THE NECESSARY INFORMATION ON YOUR WELL(S) FOR REGISTRATION

We’ll need to collect information about your well such as:

• Location of your well(s)
• Construction reports and well depth
• Well ID Plate Identifier (affixed to the outside of the steel casing on most wells installed after 2005)
• Land parcel information (from your BC Assessment Form or BC Parcel Search)

STEP 4: COMPILE YOUR WATER USE HISTORY AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

We can help you determine the following: 

• Your water use category
• Descriptions of water use categories can be found in the Water Sustainability Act, Part 1 Paragraph 2, Water Use Purposes.
• For industrial uses, check the Water Sustainability Regulation, Schedule A.
• When you first started using your water: Proof of the date that groundwater was first used will be needed. Many different types of proof of first use are acceptable and can include:
• Pumping records
• Pumping test reports
• Water quality test results
• The amount of water you use: If you don’t know how much water you use, but you use water for irrigation or livestock, the BC Agriculture Water Calculator is an easy tool that can help to estimate your water use.
• Information about your water systems, such as:
• Pumps
• Piping
• Types of irrigation
• Fire hydrants and fire suppression systems connected to the  groundwater supply
• Tanks or cisterns

STEP 5: APPLY TO PROTECT YOUR WATER RIGHTS TODAY