1
Test kit
estimate, confirm with a lab testA test of your own well comes before any equipment. Test for coliform bacteria.
Water testing Manitoba • 989 Registered Wells
RM of Portage La Prairie Water Well Depth & Hydrogeology
Regional groundwater summary • GWDrill Historical Log Extraction
Bottom Line Up Front
In RM of Portage La Prairie, the median completed well is 30 ft deep.
A published hardness range for this place and aquifer is under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃. That is a regional estimate, not a test of your well. Source: Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands.
Most production draws from SAND AND GRAVEL (about 72% 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 & Geological Stratigraphy (From Local Driller Logs)
Drag the indicator line or tap a geological stratum below to read the recorded depth range
Drilling in: Glacial Lacustrine Clay & Silt (0–40 ft)Confining Aquitard
Modelled Depth
30 FT
Area median
Drilling cost
$2,100–$4,500
Estimate
Published hardness
under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃
0 ft (Surface)Median 30 ft1450 ft (Deep)
Glacial Lacustrine Clay & Silt
Glacial Drift Silt & Till
Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite)
Sedimentary Shale Formation
From local driller logs:
From local driller logs.
Well Statistics
Local measurements compared against Manitoba provincial benchmarks.
Total Registered Wells 989
Median Well Depth 30 ft
MB benchmark: 88 ft provincial median
Average Well Depth 74.6 ft
Recorded Depth Range 6 – 605 ft
Dominant Aquifer SAND AND GRAVEL
Hardness under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands
Drilling cost $2,100–$4,500 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot
Domestic Household Use 0% of wells
| Hydrogeological Metric | From the registry or a cited study | MB Provincial Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Total Registered Wells | 989 | — |
| Median Well Depth | 30 ft | 88 ft provincial median |
| Average Well Depth | 74.6 ft | — |
| Recorded Depth Range | 6 – 605 ft | — |
| Dominant Aquifer | SAND AND GRAVEL | — |
| Hardness | under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃ — Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands | — |
| Drilling cost | $2,100–$4,500 — Estimate. Typical drilling prices in Canada, about $70–$150 per foot | — |
| Domestic Household Use | 0% of wells | — |
Where This Report Applies
Approximate boundary of RM of Portage La Prairie
Shaded area is an approximate municipal outline for orientation only. Well records are aggregated across the entire RM of Portage La Prairie.
Depth Distribution
Most completed wells fall near the median depth of 30 ft. Recorded depths cover 973 wells.
0–49 ft 66.6% · 648
49–98 ft 2.8% · 27
98–148 ft 8.6% · 84
148–197 ft 15.5% · 151
197–295 ft 4.3% · 42
295–394 ft 1.6% · 16
394–591 ft 0.4% · 4
591+ ft 0.1% · 1
Median depth of 30 ft falls inside the reported range. Deeper completions here usually mean higher mineral content but steadier year-round pressure.
Aquifer Composition
Bedrock and drift aquifers recorded by drillers in this area.
Sand & Gravel Aquifer Glacial Drift Aquifer
72.3% 715 of 989 Shallow to intermediate glacial drift aquifer deposited in alluvial channels or outwash plains. Yields softer water but requires continuous sediment filtration and shallow bacterial monitoring.
Carbonate Bedrock (Limestone / Dolomite) Primary Bedrock Aquifer
18.1% 179 of 989 Major regional bedrock aquifer formed by Ordovician/Silurian dolomite. Known for reliable, high-volume yields with elevated mineral hardness and dissolved calcium/magnesium carbonates.
Glacial Drift Silt & Till Protective Overburden
7% 69 of 989 Dense, low-permeability clay-rich glacial deposits with localized silt lenses. Serves as a natural confining barrier protecting deeper aquifers from surface contamination.
Undifferentiated Aquifer Regional Formation
1.4% 14 of 989 Unclassified hydrogeological formation from legacy provincial drill records.
Sedimentary Shale Formation Fractured Shale Aquifer
0.8% 8 of 989 Fractured sedimentary shale formation (including Odanah / Pierre members). Characterized by high total dissolved solids (TDS) and potential sulfur/iron compounds.
Sandstone Bedrock Formation Basal Bedrock Aquifer
0.3% 3 of 989 Deep basal sandstone bedrock unit (including Winnipeg Formation). Supplies exceptionally stable yields; often exhibits moderate mineral hardness with silica-rich water.
Precambrian Crystalline Bedrock (Granite) Crystalline Bedrock Aquifer
0.1% 1 of 989 Crystalline Canadian Shield rock. Yields soft, slightly acidic water with minimal dissolved solids, relying on secondary fracture networks for groundwater storage.
894 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
Water Quality Profile
A published hardness range, when one exists for this place and aquifer. Not a test of your well.
Estimate
under 60 to above 180 mg/L as CaCO₃
Estimate. Estimate based on Health Canada hardness bands. Regional estimate, not a test of your well.
Health Canada. Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality: Operational Parameters.
No measured government test within 25 km. Test your water.
Soft (<60) Med (61–120) Hard (121–180) V. hard (>180)
USGS (2018) bands reprinted by Health Canada. A range can cross more than one band. This is not a sample.
What this is not
- Not a laboratory result for a well on your property.
- Not a reason to size a softener. Size equipment from a lab test.
- Not a drilling quote. A cost line on this page is a national estimate, not a price for one well.
Health Canada has not set a maximum acceptable concentration for hardness. A wide published range can sit in more than one USGS band.
Drilling Activity
Historical permit and construction activity by decade.
Pre-1970 131 wells · avg 155 ft
1970s 169 wells · avg 74 ft
1980s 262 wells · avg 68 ft
1990s 218 wells · avg 43 ft
2000s 100 wells · avg 41 ft
2010s 73 wells · avg 66 ft
2020s 24 wells · avg 114 ft
69% of dated wells are over 30 years old (pre-1995). Steel casing installed before 1995 can lose integrity over time. Any older well should get a casing inspection and a certified bacterial test before reliance.
Treatment
Size treatment from a laboratory test
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
Suggested system for RM of Portage La Prairie
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Sediment prefilter
estimate, confirm with a lab testA sediment prefilter is worth considering where wells draw from SAND AND GRAVEL. This follows the aquifer type.
Sediment guide 3
UV disinfection
estimate, confirm with a lab testUV disinfection is worth considering where wells draw from SAND AND GRAVEL. Test for coliform bacteria. This follows the aquifer type.
Bacteria and UV guide Local Contractors
Licensed Water Well Drillers Serving RM of Portage La Prairie
Because water wells in RM of Portage La Prairie average 30 ft into sand and gravel, contractors equipped with heavy rotary rigs and proper casing seals are recommended. Contact local drillers directly or request competitive bids.
MacKay Drilling & Pumps
Yard: Warren, MB (47.2 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Submersible Pumps Pressure Tanks Bedrock Casing
Armstrong Drilling Ltd.
Yard: Headingley, MB (59.6 km away)
Confirm the contractor's provincial licence before you hire
Residential Wells Carbonate Bedrock Pump Systems
Interlake Water Supply Co Ltd.
Yard: Inwood, MB (76.8 km away)
★ 4.0
(4 Google reviews)
Interlake Limestone Bedrock Artesian Flow Relief Pasture Wells
Maple Leaf Drilling Ltd.
Yard: West St. Paul, MB (81.3 km away)
★ 4.6
(42 Google reviews)
Residential Drinking Wells Carbonate Bedrock Aquifers Geothermal Loops
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about water wells in RM of Portage La Prairie.
What is the median well depth in RM of Portage La Prairie?
Among 973 producing water wells with a recorded depth, the median is 30.0 ft (9.144 m).
Which aquifer is recorded most often in RM of Portage La Prairie?
The most frequently recorded producing aquifer is SAND AND GRAVEL, on 715 of 989 wells with a producing aquifer name.
Adjacent Municipalities & Nearby Well Records
Explore neighbouring hydrogeological formations and compare drilling depths