Groundwater Users – Licensing Deadline
Announcing Deadline to Apply for a Non-Domestic Groundwater License: March 1, 2022
What:
Existing groundwater users who have been using groundwater from a well or dugout before March 1, 2016 for non-domestic uses must apply for a water licence prior to March 1, 2022. If the application is submitted before the deadline, your date of first use will be used to establish your date of precedence.
Who:
This announcement applies to any commercial operation, including agriculture, that withdraws water from a well or dugout for any non-domestic purpose (including home businesses, irrigators, commercial, waterworks, or industrial use). This applies to both drilled wells and dug wells.
What are the benefits of applying before March 1, 2022?
If you started using groundwater for non-domestic use before March 1, 2016, applying before the deadline secures and protects your water rights. In the face of increasing groundwater development, applying before the deadline recognizes your historic water use and gives you precedence over junior licensees in times of water scarcity. In addition, you will avoid a $250+ application fee associated with new-use applications.
Administrators:
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, West Coast Water Authorizations Section. If you have questions, or need help applying, call FrontCounter BC at 1-877-855-3222 or email FrontCounterBC@gov.bc.ca.
FAQ
Does this licensing requirement affect private homeowners who withdraw groundwater for personal use, including gardens and hobby farming?
Not if:
- Your groundwater for irrigation covers an area less than 1,000 m2
- You use groundwater for private household uses, fire prevention, or watering household animals (including poultry and other animals kept for household use).
Please apply for a groundwater use license if one or more of the following are “yes”:
- You use groundwater for a business
- You use groundwater for livestock kept for commercial purpose
- You use groundwater for irrigation of any planting comprising an area more than 1,000 m2 (1/4 acre)
What happens if I am late to apply?
If an application is submitted after March 1, 2022, the user will be treated as a new applicant and given a junior priority date based on the date of the application (if a licence is granted). After March 1, 2022 the user will be unauthorized to use groundwater and must stop using the water until a licence is obtained. In areas where water scarcity exists, new groundwater applications may be denied. In order to waive the application fee and to secure your “Existing water rights”, please apply before the deadline.
Why is this groundwater licensing necessary?
Answer: Licensing groundwater helps protect aquifers and streams, along with businesses and livelihoods that depend on reliable access to water, based on the same priority scheme that currently exists for surface water.
B.C.’s water licensing system is a fair and transparent process that helps reduce conflicts between water users, particularly in times of drought and water scarcity.
More info:
New requirements for groundwater users
Questions and Answers from the Province of British Columbia -click here if you are not sure whether your home business is a non-domestic water use
Water Application Fees & Rental Rates – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
Example rates for typical users
Instructional Video – How to Apply for a Licence to use Groundwater for Non-Domestic Purposes
Contact 1-877-855-3222
Or FrontCounterBC@gov.bc.ca