Do I need to licence my existing groundwater well in BC?

Groundwater in BC is now regulated under the Water Sustainability Act, and most existing wells used for non-domestic purposes, including irrigation and livestock watering above a threshold, are expected to be licensed. A well used only for a single household domestic supply is generally exempt, but a well that waters crops or waters livestock on a commercial farm is not.

The licensing transition has been ongoing, and an unlicensed well that should be licensed can be a real problem on a farm purchase, because the right to draw and use that water is the asset that makes the land productive. A licensed well has a documented allocation and a priority date, while an unlicensed one is a risk and, in a dry year, a lower-priority risk.

Treat the well's licensing status as a due-diligence item: confirm whether it is licensed, the authorized volume, and that the licence is in good standing. Read our Water Rights guide for the framework, and verify the well records with the provincial water database before the offer goes firm.