University of Guelph researcher Emmanuelle Arnaud believes installing a monitoring well on municipal property here will shed light on the geological makeup of the local moraine.
Arnaud told Puslinch councillors Nov. 16 how the research would help generate more data regarding sustainable water supplies in the Guelph area. She is a glacial geologist faculty member with the School of Environmental Studies and The Centre for Applied Groundwater Research.
To give an idea of the breadth of research, Arnaud said the focus is the bedrock aquifier of the Guelph area – a major water source for the community. What is being examined includes the bedrock containment geology, overburden, groundwater recharge, quantifying surface groundwater interaction in recharge and discharge areas, she said.
As a glacial geologist, Arnaud is interested in the layer on top of the bedrock and the materials in that layer – in the context of groundwater protection and identifying the different types of materials and how they are distributed in the subsurface.
The idea, she said, is to look at the relationship between geology, nitrate geochemistry, pathogen distribution and microbial communities.
“We’re really interested in how non-point pollution is reaching the bedrock and the aquifer.”
She said there is considerable research regarding nitrates at the surface at the University of Guelph. She cited a long-term monitoring program that includes different sites the university works at in southern Wellington County. Many of those monitors are linked to existing contaminated sites or sites where groundwater surface water interaction can be monitored.
“Once the core samples are recovered, we install multi-level groundwater monitoring systems. It is a very data-rich approach,” Arnaud said, citing geological, geophysical, hydro-physical as well as chemical data. Those data might give indications how and where contaminants might travel through the system.
“We find nitrates appearing in the bedrock aquifers, but we have very little information on how they are getting there. We’re trying to come up with a subsurface model, where we see the distribution of materials.”
In particular, Arnaud is interested in the Paris Moraine [between Guelph and Aberfoyle] which is an important feature for source water protection. It is associated with the last glacial age, which could contain different properties affecting contaminant flows and groundwater pathways, she said.
The Puslinch site would add another piece of the picture.
Arnaud suggested benefits include determining the subsurface geology of the moraine back slope and the creation of a long term monitoring site for regional groundwater study.
“We see this as a long term value for both ourselves and the township.”
Councillor Wayne Stokley considered any work to assist in getting more information on the groundwater is appreciated.
“It’s a resource that all of us who have wells, rely on.”
But, he wondered what would happen at the end of the study. Information he had reviewed indicated the university wants the township take on the responsibility of decommissioning the well. “Is that not something the university should be doing?” he asked.
He agreed it would be a different situation if the municipality wished to continue the monitoring when the program ends.
Arnaud said the university is hoping the project will be seen as a collaborative effort.
Because of way university projects are funded, Arnaud said it is difficult to commit funding to decommission costs 10 years from now. But, as a geologist, and someone who hopes to work for the university in the long term, “We see this very much as a long term monitoring site. We would hope we would never see the day where we would close out the well, because we think there is long term value to having this monitoring site.”
She said, “But as owners of the property, we felt it might be more appropriate for you to cover the decommissioning costs.”
Stokley’s also had questions referring to data sharing.
Arnaud said while this one test well is being proposed, the university is aware of the township’s existing monitoring network. She believes it would be beneficial for the university and township to exchange that information.
She said the municipality would maintain ownership of its data, “but the idea would be that it could be incorporated into the research project.”
Stokley asked for clarification, because the township has a fair amount of information on individual wells, complex wells such as Mini Lakes and private operations, such as Nestle Waters.
“I’m not too sure we can get into providing that information from other areas,” he said, adding negotiations and permissions would be needed first.
Arnaud said her intent is more related to the municipality’s monitoring stations already listed on the Harden Environmental website.
Sitting on the Hamilton-Halton source water protection committee, councillor Susan Fielding said she has come to appreciate the need for further study.
“It is invaluable information and we know there is going to be more and more pressure on the water tables and water in general. I feel the more information we can get will help us more in the future.”
She also believes council may need that information to make more informed decisions.
Stan Denhoed, of Harden Environmental, had some concerns on decommissioning of the well. He said it would not likely be the typical open well, but rather one that has held additional equipment. “It’s not an empty well.”
While the university would be well suited to the task, Denhoed said it would be different technology for the municipality.
He noted since the well is part of a particular thesis project, there is the potential it could be unused for several years, which, in turn, could create a liability for the township – if it is not maintained.
He said there should be something in writing that after a certain period of disuse by the university, it would decommission that well.
In terms of the data, he noted that on a quarterly basis, Harden Environmental monitors 16 wells throughout the township. In addition, there are rotating groundwater samples.
That means the company is developing a database.
In the long term, he believes that data is useful, especially over a 20 or 30 year period when the issues would be more pronounced.
He considers the university research as being valuable to the township.
However, he said his company’s data is posted on a website – which has been released on request.
But, he said, that information is owned by the township.
He had concerns with that information going to a third party, since there could be a loss of control. He some of the wells being monitored are not owned by the township.
His other concern is what happens if the research reveals something unusual, because that the information should come to the township first.
Denhoed agreed there is an advantage in having a top research facility interested in the local moraine.
Mayor Dennis Lever said there are some issues to be resolved regarding decommissioning costs.
He noted Arnaud stated the limited time frames of university funding, but at the same time he did not want to saddle a future council with an unknown cost 10 years from now.
He was concerned at the start at the mention of protecting Guelph’s water supply.
He noted much of the presentation was about the municipal water supply of Guelph.
Lever said he was happy to hear Denhoed’s comments that the information would be useful in a rural environment.
“We are individual wells for the most part out here,” he added. “It is interesting to know the science behind what is going on.”
