Regional groundwater summary • British Columbia Historical Log Extraction
Bottom Line Up Front
In Saanich, the median completed well is 260 ft deep.
A published hardness range for this place and aquifer is less than 10 to 180, and groundwater can exceed 1,000 mg/L as CaCO₃. That is a regional estimate, not a test of your well. Source: Estimate based on B.C. Ministry of Environment water-quality checks.
Most production draws from Bedrock (about 40% of local wells).
These municipal aggregates support planning only — they do not replace an accredited laboratory potability test for your own well.
Interactive Well Depth & Modeled Typical Strata
Drag the indicator line or tap a stratum below to read the recorded depth range
Modelled Depth
260 FT
Area median
Drilling cost
$18,200–$39,000
Estimate
Published hardness
less than 10 to 180, and groundwater can exceed 1,000 mg/L as CaCO₃
Modeled typical strata — placeholder from median depth + aquifer type; not local driller logs.
Local measurements compared against British Columbia provincial benchmarks.
| Hydrogeological Metric | From the registry or a cited study | BC Provincial Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Total Registered Wells | 148 | — |
| Median Well Depth | 260 ft | 162 ft provincial median |
| Average Well Depth | 280.2 ft | — |
| Dominant Aquifer | Bedrock | — |
| Hardness | less than 10 to 180, and groundwater can exceed 1,000 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on B.C. Ministry of Environment water-quality checks | — |
| Drilling cost | $18,200–$39,000 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot | — |
| Domestic Household Use | 88% of wells | — |
Approximate boundary of Saanich
Shaded area is an approximate municipal outline for orientation only. Well records are aggregated across the entire Saanich.
Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 260 ft. Recorded depths cover 147 wells.
Median depth of 260 ft falls inside the reported range. Deeper completions here usually mean higher mineral content but steadier year-round pressure.
Bedrock and drift aquifers recorded by drillers in this area. Recorded for 66 of these 148 wells.
59 of 148 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.
7 of 148 Unclassified hydrogeological formation from legacy provincial drill records.
16 holes found no usable water. test holes, observation or monitoring wells, dewatering wells, decommissioned wells, dry holes, no-aquifer holes, and other non-supply wells filtered out of the headline
A published hardness range, when one exists for this place and aquifer. Not a test of your well.
Measured nearby
Measured government tests within 25 km of Saanich.
USGS (2018) bands reprinted by Health Canada. A range can cross more than one band. This is not a sample.
What this is not
Health Canada has not set a maximum acceptable concentration for hardness. A wide published range can sit in more than one USGS band.
OBS WELL 61 - SOUTH SAANICH (GLIDDON ROAD), 3.61 km away, nearby.
10 government lab tests, dated 1985–2020.
Hardness 87–187 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 136.1.
Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 10 government lab tests.
reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported
BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results: Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network wells Open Government Licence - British Columbia
OBS WELL 338 - CENTRAL SAANICH (SEABROOK RD.), 3.89 km away, nearby.
4 government lab tests, dated 2003–2014.
Hardness 97–125 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 111.6.
Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 4 government lab tests.
reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported
BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results: Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network wells Open Government Licence - British Columbia
OBS WELL 71 - SAANICH (CORDOVA BAY ROAD), 4.2 km away, nearby.
9 government lab tests, dated 1991–2014.
Hardness 250–351 mg/L as CaCO₃, median 293.6.
Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 9 government lab tests.
reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported
BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results: Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network wells Open Government Licence - British Columbia
15 wells tested, range 13–681 mg/L.
6.83 km away, nearby.
Tests dated 1985–2017.
8 wells test above 180 mg/L.
Worked out by wellwaterguide.ca from 21 government lab tests.
reported hardness, or calculated from measured calcium and magnesium when hardness was not reported
BC Environmental Monitoring Data System (EnMoDS) results: Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network wells Open Government Licence - British Columbia
Historical permit and construction activity by decade.
Treatment
This page does not turn a hardness range or a well depth into an equipment total, a grain capacity, or a drilling price. Read the methodology, the filtration guide, and the products catalog.
Suggested system
Test kit
estimate, confirm with a lab testA test of your own well comes before any equipment. Test for coliform bacteria.
Water testingIron and manganese filter
estimate, confirm with a lab testManganese above the aesthetic objective, consider an iron/manganese filter. One monitoring well near this place has median manganese of 0.0367 mg/L. Another has median iron of 10.6 mg/L and median manganese of 5.94 mg/L.
Iron and manganese guideWater softener
estimate, confirm with a lab testA softener is worth considering. The nearest monitoring well has a median hardness of 136.1 mg/L as CaCO₃.
Hard-water guideBecause water wells in Saanich average 260 ft into bedrock, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.
Yard: Duncan, BC (31.9 km away)
Yard: Abbotsford, BC (96.6 km away)
Yard: Chilliwack, BC (132.9 km away)
Yard: Cumberland, BC (167.4 km away)
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Quick answers about water wells in Saanich.
Among 147 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 260.0 ft (79.25 m).
The most frequently recorded producing aquifer is Bedrock, on 59 of 66 wells with a producing aquifer name.
Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths