Advocates are concerned that development around Aquifer 606 could see the key water source for hundreds of western communities residents drained and polluted.

But funding problems are making it hard for the local management board to install proper observation equipment.

Aquifer 606 lies under Metchosin, large stretches of the area around Sooke as well as parts of Colwood and Langford and provides water to people connected to wells.

Many of the houses in the area are on wells, with piped municipal water not an option in some areas.

Members of a newly formed group, called Otter Point 606 Water Group, are worried that booming development in the surrounding area could pollute and drain the important water source.

B次元官网网址淎nybody drawing from the aquifer is going to make a difference,B次元官网网址� said Lynn Moss, one of the organizers of the group. B次元官网网址淪ometimes people that move out here from town arenB次元官网网址檛 entirely water-wise.B次元官网网址�

Mike Hicks, the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area director, said development shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be a problem because the number of houses set to be built over the next few years falls within the different municipalityB次元官网网址檚 official community plans.

What does concern him is the lack of information about the condition of the aquifer.

Hicks wants to get this information from a test well and if that doesnB次元官网网址檛 work, then a study.

He went to the province to ask for money for a test well, to monitor water levels in the aquifer, but was rejected.

A Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations spokesperson said in an email that monitoring for the Aquifer 606 area is done at a well near Phillips Road, put in place in 2018.

B次元官网网址淲hile we have limited ability to add more wells to the West Coast Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network at present, we are working on ways to increase capacity,B次元官网网址� the spokesperson added.

The ministry noted the cost of a new test well would likely be around $40,000 and said funding for these kinds of projects is spread around the province and distributed based on planning cycles.

Hicks said he committed to conducting a study to count the number of wells connected to the aquifer and how deep they go, an important step in assessing the amount of water being used. The last study was done in 2004, when there were 639 wells correlated to the aquifer B次元官网网址� considered a low density at the time. But the risk of contamination was considered high and that risk is only going to increase as development does and the number of wells dug rises, says Chris Moss, another organizer with Otter Point 606 Water Group.

B次元官网网址淢ost of them go far below sea level because they all throw deep wells or most of them are deep wells between 400 and 650 feet, so they are at danger B次元官网网址� not only of running out of their freshwater if somebody above them drills a well, they can also be contaminated by seawater,B次元官网网址� he said.

Hicks said Juan de Fuca is currently looking to hire people to conduct the survey but doesnB次元官网网址檛 have a timeline for when the work will be done.

He added in the meantime, the province needs to make the area more of a priority to ensure the aquifer can be properly protected.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e recognizing the future problems with the aquifers and weB次元官网网址檙e trying to find out really what itB次元官网网址檚 all about,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 can tell already, itB次元官网网址檚 going to be a long process when I canB次元官网网址檛 even get a test well.B次元官网网址�

bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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