The City of Fredericton obtains its drinking water from a groundwater supply beneath the downtown area. Eleven drinking water wells—situated in the Wilmot Park and Queen Square neighbourhoods—bring this water to the surface. The land surrounding these wells, called a wellfield, requires protection from activities that could contaminate the city's water supply, including petroleum and chemical storage. To reduce the risk of contaminating the water supply, certain activities and potential contaminants are regulated within the Wellfield Protected Area.
To help protect the city’s drinking water supply, Fredericton City Council passed a resolution in 2005 requesting that the New Brunswick Minister of the Environment and Local Government protect the groundwater supply under the Wellfield Protected Area Designation Order - Clean Water Act (Order). This Order ensures maximum protection of Fredericton's water supply while minimizing the impact on property owners, residents, and businesses.
The wellfield protected area is divided into three zones: Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C (view the map). Information for Commercial, Industrial, Institutional and Multi-Unit Residential Properties can be found here.
Wellfield Exemption Application
If a property is not in compliance with the Order at the time of designation, the property owner must apply for an exemption (see the Exemption Application Form). An exemption allows residents time to make changes on their property in order to meet the requirements of the order. The amount of time granted depends on which type of exemption is applied for.
View additional information on the Wellfield Protection Area Designation Order.