Barrie drinks a mix of Kempenfelt Bay water and groundwater from municipal wells, and many of its hydrogeological rules exist to protect the aquifer those wells draw from. A hydrogeological study in Barrie follows the City's terms of reference, may need the City's approval for deep drilling, and has to respect limits on where stormwater can be infiltrated.
What this means for your project in Barrie
- The City asks for a hydrogeological study with official plan and zoning amendments, plans of subdivision and condominium, site plans and community planning permit applications.
- City planning and engineering staff review it, with Lake Simcoe Region or Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority; the City's Risk Management Official reviews deep drilling and activities near municipal wells.
- Drilling below the confining layer that protects the city's supply aquifer needs City approval first, and infiltrating parking lot runoff has to pass a City screening.
- The local factor most likely to affect scope and cost: whether the site is in a wellhead protection area. That decides the source water protection work, how deep you can drill without approval, and where stormwater can soak in.
Barrie groundwater data
Calculated from public provincial datasets for City of Barrie. Each value names its source; links are under Sources at the end of the page.
| Median depth of wells with a water level | 23.5 m (1,335 records reporting depth and water level) |
|---|---|
| Median static water level | 7.6 m below ground (1,335 records reporting depth and water level) |
| Records reaching bedrock | 1.8% of all records with a depth |
| Well records | 4,310 records (all types) |
| Active Permits to Take Water | 14 permits; largest purpose categories: Dewatering Construction 5, Commercial 4, Construction 2 |
| Active construction and dewatering permits | 7 of 14 active Permits to Take Water |
| Conservation authority | Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (60.8% of area); Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (39.2% of area) |
| Provincial plan areas | None in the Oak Ridges Moraine, Greenbelt or Niagara Escarpment Plan areas |
| Sewer discharge | Dewatering water to City storm or sanitary sewers needs an application to Environmental Operations under Sewer Use By-law 2021-002 (City of Barrie) |
Source: Well Records (Water Well Information System), MECP (WWIS_2026a), retrieved 2026-10-14.
Source: Permit to Take Water, MECP (PermitsToTakeWater_26-01), retrieved 2026-10-14.
Source: Conservation Authority Administrative Area, Ontario GeoHub, retrieved 2026-10-14.
Source: Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) Planning Area, Ontario GeoHub; Greenbelt Outer Boundary, Ontario GeoHub; Niagara Escarpment Plan Boundary, Ontario GeoHub; retrieved 2026-10-14.
Figures count records inside the municipal boundary that report a value; well locations and values are as submitted by well contractors, and MECP notes inaccuracies exist. How these figures are calculated.
7 of the 14 active Permits to Take Water in Barrie are for construction or dewatering. The city's well records show a median depth of wells with a water level of 23.5 m and a median static water level of 7.6 m below ground, with almost no records reaching bedrock: the aquifers are in thick glacial deposits, and the City protects the confining layer above its supply aquifer.
The City's terms of reference
Barrie's hydrogeological study terms of reference describe the study as an objective, science-based review of subsurface conditions to identify development suitability and constraints, including effects on the City's drinking water sources. The report must cover existing conditions, impacts and mitigation, with the scope confirmed at pre-consultation with the City and the conservation authority.
| Part | Elements the City lists |
|---|---|
| Existing conditions | Boreholes and monitoring wells, private well survey, hydrostratigraphy and flow direction, surface water features, water quality, D-5-5, wellhead protection areas, transport pathways, ecologically significant recharge areas |
| Impact assessment | Pumping tests, baseflow, water balance, groundwater quality, D-5-4, creation of transport pathways, effects on drinking water aquifers, temporary and permanent dewatering, contaminant migration, flowing conditions |
| Mitigation | Maintaining infiltration and groundwater quality, a monitoring program and contingency plans |
The City points to the 2013 conservation authority hydrogeological guidelines and the ministry's 1995 technical requirements, says a peer review may be required at the applicant's cost, and returns incomplete studies.
Protecting the supply aquifer: deep drilling and transport pathways
Barrie's source water protection program sets out a rule that affects hydrogeologists directly. Deep drilling beyond the upper confining layer needs City approval, under the City's Deep Drilling Terms of Reference, with the drilling plan submitted to the Risk Management Official as part of the development application. The aim is to avoid creating a pathway for contamination into the municipal supply aquifer. Geothermal boreholes, deep monitoring wells and pumping test wells that would reach that depth need to be planned with this in mind, and the terms of reference separately ask whether a development creates a transport pathway.
The same program includes a Drinking Water Protection Policy that applies to all private landowners, and a Section 59 screening step at building permit for businesses and developments in wellhead protection areas where policies apply. The City names road salt, fuel and solvent storage, fertilizers and pesticides, septic systems and waste disposal among the threats it protects against, and its 2025 annual report notes that sodium in raw water from six wells exceeded the guideline value, though not at a level requiring a report to the Ministry.
Where stormwater can soak in
Lake Simcoe policies push developments to keep rainwater infiltrating, but in Barrie infiltration of runoff from paved surfaces has to pass the City's Infiltration Low Impact Development Screening Process, which considers source water protection vulnerable areas and the risk from road salt and spills. A hydrogeological study that measures infiltration rates and seasonal high groundwater, and confirms the site's vulnerability, gives the stormwater design a realistic target. On the Lake Simcoe side of the city, LSRCA's water balance and recharge offsetting rules apply; our East Gwillimbury page explains them.
Four things to check before the field work
- Whether the site is in a wellhead protection area, using the City's source water protection story map, and whether policies apply to your planned use.
- How deep the boreholes, wells or geothermal loops will go, and whether that reaches the upper confining layer, which triggers a drilling plan for the Risk Management Official.
- Whether the City's infiltration screening will allow runoff from paved areas to be infiltrated, before the stormwater design relies on it.
- Where construction dewatering water will go, so the Environmental Operations application is ready before excavation.
Hydrogeological study cost in Barrie
| Study | Starting point | Full span |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrogeological study for development | $12,000 – $18,000 | $12,000 – $150,000 |
| Drinking water source protection assessment | $4,500 – $7,000 | $4,500 – $15,500 |
| Pre- and post-development water balance | $3,000 – $5,000 | $3,000 – $14,000 |
| Infiltration testing for LID | $2,500 – $4,000 | $2,500 – $14,500 |
| Dewatering assessment for construction | $9,000 – $14,000 | $9,000 – $62,500 |
These are indicative ranges based on typical scopes, the same province-wide ranges the estimator uses, not prices specific to Barrie. Locally, the work is reviewed by the City of Barrie and Lake Simcoe Region or Nottawasaga Valley Conservation and, for water takings, the ministry, and the scope they ask for is what moves a quote. Near the municipal wells, deep drilling approval and infiltration screening add steps before field work starts. Excludes well drilling, government application fees and HST. For worked examples, see what a hydrogeological study costs in Ontario.
Projects that need a hydrogeological study in Barrie
- Subdivisions and condominiums. The full terms of reference, water balance and an infiltration screening for low impact development.
- Businesses near municipal wells. Section 59 screening and, where policies apply, a risk management plan.
- Deep foundations, geothermal systems and deep wells. A drilling plan reviewed by the Risk Management Official.
- Construction dewatering. EASR registration and a discharge application to Environmental Operations.
Working with a hydrogeologist in Barrie
In Barrie, deep drilling planned beyond the upper confining layer needs City approval, so that no pathway for contamination is created to the municipal supply aquifer. The Deep Drilling Terms of Reference apply, and the drilling plan goes to the Risk Management Official as part of the development application, so agree the drilling depths with the consultant before the work is priced. The City's own terms of reference then set the content of a hydrogeological assessment in Barrie, including the screening that limits where stormwater can be infiltrated near the municipal wells. Before you sign a proposal, confirm the consultant's P.Geo. licence on the PGO public register.
If construction in Barrie will pump groundwater as well, our step-by-step guide to EASR dewatering registration covers the provincial filing that sits alongside the City's approvals.
Barrie questions
Do I need City approval to drill a deep borehole or well in Barrie?
If it goes beyond the upper confining layer, yes. The City's source water protection page says deep drilling planned beyond the upper confining layer needs City approval, so that no pathway for contamination is created to the municipal supply aquifer. You follow the Deep Drilling Terms of Reference and submit the drilling plan to the Risk Management Official as part of the development application.
Can we infiltrate parking lot runoff in Barrie?
Only where the City's Infiltration Low Impact Development Screening Process says it is appropriate. The framework weighs source water protection vulnerable areas and the contamination risk from road salt and chemical spills before infiltration of runoff from paved surfaces is accepted.
When does a Barrie project need a Section 59 notice?
When a business or development in a wellhead protection area where policies apply applies for a building permit. The Building department tells you at application; you complete a Section 59 screening form, the Risk Management Official reviews it, and the notice is issued once any policy requirements are met, letting the permit proceed.
Who approves dewatering discharge to Barrie sewers?
The City's Environmental Operations branch approves dewatering discharge to Barrie sewers. Barrie's hydrogeological terms of reference say that if dewatering water is expected to be discharged to municipal storm or sanitary sewers, an application must be made to Environmental Operations for review under the Sewer Use By-law (2021-002).
Where does Barrie's water come from?
Two sources: according to the City, surface water is drawn from Kempenfelt Bay and treated at the Surface Water Treatment Plant, which mainly serves the south end, while the north and central parts of the city are mainly served by groundwater wells. The 2025 annual report describes the system as the treatment plant plus 12 groundwater wells, serving about 167,176 residents.
Which conservation authority reviews hydrogeology in Barrie?
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority covers about 60.8% of the city in the provincial boundary data and Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority about 39.2%. Barrie's terms of reference ask applicants to confirm scope with the City and the applicable conservation authority before technical work starts.
Studies for Barrie sites
- Development Hydrogeological Study
Groundwater assessments that support subdivision, site plan and zoning applications.
- Source Water Protection Risk Assessment
Assessments for activities proposed inside wellhead protection areas and other vulnerable areas.
- Water Balance Assessment
Pre- and post-development water budgets for planning approvals and low impact development design.
- Infiltration Testing (LID)
In-situ infiltration testing used to size low impact development stormwater features.
- Hydrogeological study cost guide
Ranges for every study type, side by side.
Near Barrie
Sources
- Hydrogeological Study: terms of reference (2026) (opens in a new tab), City of Barrie.
- Well Records: Water Well Information System (WWIS_2026a) and county Well Record Data Reports (WW_Reports_2026a) (opens in a new tab), Government of Ontario (MECP), Ontario Data Catalogue.
- Permit to Take Water dataset (PermitsToTakeWater_26-01) (opens in a new tab), Government of Ontario (MECP), Ontario Data Catalogue.
- Conservation Authority Administrative Area (opens in a new tab), Ontario GeoHub.
- Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) Planning Area (opens in a new tab), Ontario GeoHub.
- Greenbelt Outer Boundary (opens in a new tab), Ontario GeoHub.
- Niagara Escarpment Plan Boundary (opens in a new tab), Ontario GeoHub.
- Source Water Protection (Section 59 screening, deep drilling, infiltration LID screening) (opens in a new tab), City of Barrie.
- Public Register (registered members) (opens in a new tab), Professional Geoscientists Ontario.
- Municipal Boundary - Lower and Single Tier (opens in a new tab), Ontario GeoHub.
- OHN Waterbody, 2M generalized layer (provincial hydrography dataset) (opens in a new tab), Ontario GeoHub.
- 2025 Drinking Water System Annual Report (opens in a new tab), City of Barrie, Water Operations Branch.
- Water Balance Recharge Offsetting Policy (May 1, 2023) (opens in a new tab), Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.