We’ve initiated a Schedule B Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) study for the installation of two new municipal supply wells (Area 3 and Area 7), including connections to the existing water distribution system (i.e. watermains). The new wells will provide additional municipal water capacity to support population and employment growth in the Township.
The proposed study area is illustrated in the figure below, highlighting the two municipal well focus areas:
- Area 3: Southwest of Salem urban centre on Wellington Road 18 near the intersection of Wellington Road 18 and 3rd Line West.
- Area 7: North of Fergus urban centre along Sideroad 15, southwest of Beatty Line.
What’s involved in the MCEA
The MCEA study will help to achieve the following goals:
- Ensure long-term sustainable municipal water supply
- Identify and evaluate alternative solutions
- Develop mitigation strategies to address any potential adverse impacts
- Consider feedback from consultation and engagement activities
- Recommend a preferred alternative
- Develop a municipal well implementation strategy
The Process
The Project is being completed as a Schedule B project under the framework of the MCEA (as recently amended in 2024), which is approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. The Project will address the requirements of Phases 1 and 2 of the MCEA process.
The Notice of Commencement (including invitation to Public Information Centre #1) is included in the documents section of this page for additional information.
Your input is important, we want to hear from you
Consultation and engagement with the public, Indigenous Communities, regulatory agencies, and other key groups is integral to the MCEA study. To facilitate this, two (2) Public Information Centres (PICs) are planned to gather input.
About PIC #1
The Township invites interested community members to join the first PIC to learn more about the Project and provide feedback:
Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex Hall
550 Belsyde Avenue, Fergus
The first PIC will be presented as part of the Township’s annual Spring Key Projects Open House. A virtual PIC will also be available on the Project webpage on May 29, 2025, with a narrated video, display boards and a feedback form.
Ongoing and Upcoming Production and Monitoring Well Drilling and Testing
Production well and monitoring well drilling and testing will take place from May to October 2025, as follows:
- Production well drilling (June – July): New production wells will be drilled close to existing test wells. Rock chip samples will be collected to identify any major differences in the geology that might exist between the test wells and production wells. Results of this drilling will inform the final production well construction details.
- Monitoring wells (June to August): New monitoring wells will be drilled into the bedrock aquifer at a distance from the new production wells. Water level observations will be collected from the monitoring wells during the production well testing. Collection of rock core samples and groundwater levels will improve geological conceptual and numerical models in addition to measuring water table responses to pumping.
- Private Water Well Monitoring Program (June – October): Owners of Private Water Wells within 1 km of Area 3 and Area 7 will be invited to be included in an assessment of well conditions and the collection of baseline groundwater quality samples. A subset of these wells will be selected for water level monitoring and licensed contractors will install equipment to evaluate changes in water levels. Mitigation measures will be in place to avoid impacts to private wells as best as possible, regardless of participation in the survey. We will be notifying landowners with private wells directly, but feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
- New production well testing (September): Following the construction of the proposed new wells (production wells and monitoring wells), each new water supply well (production well) will be pumped for a period of up to thirty (30) days to assess local hydraulic properties and water table responses within local aquifers by utilizing new and existing monitoring wells in addition to private water wells selected for inclusion within the monitoring program.
Surface water monitoring will also be conducted at two (2) watercourse locations.
