Water Well Services Licensing in Quebec

Well drilling and servicing in Quebec is regulated under the Environment Quality Act and the Groundwater Catchment Regulation (Règlement sur le prélèvement des eaux et leur protection). Contractors performing well drilling must hold an appropriate RBQ licence. Workers must demonstrate competency through relevant training and work experience. A two- to three-year apprenticeship program or equivalent combination of work experience and industry courses is typical for water well drilling. Well construction must comply with provincial standards, and well logs must be submitted to the Ministère de l'Environnement. All wells must meet the requirements of the Groundwater Catchment Regulation.

Ask for the contractor's RBQ licence number and verify it on the RBQ's online Licence Holders' Registry. Confirm they are familiar with the Groundwater Catchment Regulation.

(1) Cannot produce a valid Well Technician Licence and Well Contractor Licence (2) Guarantees a specific depth or water yield before drilling - no driller can guarantee what is underground (3) Skips the Well Record filing with the MECP after completing the well (4) Does not test or decommission old wells when drilling a replacement, leaving contamination risk (5) No liability insurance - drilling involves heavy equipment and potential damage to underground utilities

(1) What class of Well Technician Licence do you hold, and what is your Well Contractor Licence number? (2) What is the typical well depth and expected yield in my area based on neighbouring well records? (3) What happens if you hit poor water quality or low yield - do I still pay the full per-foot rate? (4) Will you submit the Well Record to the MECP and provide me with a copy? (5) What pump system do you recommend, and what warranty does it carry?

Yes, water well services in Quebec are expected to carry liability insurance.

In Quebec, most contractors performing construction work must hold an RBQ (Régie du bâtiment du Québec) licence. You can verify any contractor's licence on the RBQ's online Licence Holders' Registry at rbq.gouv.qc.ca. Always ask for the licence number and verify it before hiring.

Typical rates for water well services in Quebec range from $150-$300/hour (drill rig and crew). Depth required to reach the water table (the single biggest variable), geology of the site (drilling through hard rock costs 50-100% more than overburden), well diameter and casing requirements, pump type and horsepower (submersible pumps are standard for deep wells), water treatment system needs, distance from the contractor's base (mobilizing a drill rig is expensive), and whether the well is a new installation or a rehabilitation. A complete, code-compliant well system (drilling + casing + pump + pressure system) typically costs $10,000-$20,000 for an average residential well in Ontario.