Many of the groundwater monitoring wells we install are being used to fulfill the groundwater monitoring and sampling requirements for submitting a Record of Site Condition (RSC). There are provisions in Regulation 903 (Water Well Regulation) offering exemptions for wells that are considered shallow works. Please note that taking advantage of those exemptions makes the work derived from testing these wells invalid with respect to their use in an RSC.
This is from (153/04):
22 (4) The provisions of the Ontario Water Resources Act and of Regulation 903 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (Wells) made under that Act, that would apply to a test hole but for section 1.1, and subsections 13 (2), 14.1 (2), 14.2 (3), 14.3 (2), 14.4 (4) and 14.5 (3) of that regulation, apply to a monitoring well installed for the purpose of,
(a) a phase one environmental site assessment; and
(b) a phase two environmental site assessment. O. Reg. 511/09, s. 14.
This is from “Ontario Test Holes and Dewatering Wells – Requirements and Best Management Practices”:
Starting on July 1, 2011, O. Reg. 153/04 prescribes that the provisions of the Ontario Water Resources Act and of Regulation 903 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (Wells) made under that Act, that would apply to a test hole but for section 1.1, and subsections 13 (2), 14.1 (2), 14.2 (3), 14.3 (2), 14.4 (4) and 14.5 (3) of that regulation, apply to a monitoring well installed for the purpose of,
(a) a phase one environmental site assessment; and
(b) a phase two environmental site assessment.
Implications for the Qualified Person:
The qualified person shall ensure that the phase one and phase two environmental site assessments (ESAs) are conducted in accordance with the requirements stated above.
Implications for Shallow Works:
The shallow works exemption contained in section 1.1 of the Wells Regulation does not apply to a monitoring well that is constructed as part of a phase one or two ESA for a record of site condition.
The above requirement in the Records of Site Condition regulation also affects other obligations such as casing material and annular space size and filling for monitoring wells. See Chapter 6: Constructing the Hole, Casing & Covering the Test Hole or Dewatering Well and Chapter 7: Annular Space & Sealing for further information.