In Clearview, groundwater is both the drinking water supply and, at the moment, the limit on growth: Stayner's wells are at capacity and new water allocation is on hold until a new well site comes on line. A hydrogeological study in Clearview follows the Township's 2025 terms of reference and is reviewed with Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority. This page also covers neighbouring Collingwood.
What this means for your project in Clearview
- Most studies support subdivisions and site plans in Stayner and the smaller serviced communities, rural lots on private wells and septic systems, and farm and commercial water supplies.
- The Township reviews the report against its own terms of reference; Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority reviews effects on its regulated areas; the Niagara Escarpment Commission issues permits on escarpment land.
- In Stayner, a hydrogeological study cannot create water capacity: no new water allocation is available until the new well site is finished.
- The local factor most likely to affect scope and cost: private servicing. Outside the serviced communities, the D-5-4 nitrate and phosphorus assessment and D-5-5 well testing drive most of the work.
Clearview groundwater data
Calculated from public provincial datasets for Township of Clearview and Town of Collingwood. Each value names its source; links are under Sources at the end of the page.
| Measure | Township of Clearview | Town of Collingwood |
|---|---|---|
| Median depth of wells with a water level | 29 m (2,853 records reporting depth and water level) | 12.2 m (705 records reporting depth and water level) |
| Median static water level | 7 m below ground (2,853 records reporting depth and water level) | 2.1 m below ground (705 records reporting depth and water level) |
| Records reaching bedrock | 45% of all records with a depth | 74.5% of all records with a depth |
| Well records | 3,744 records (all types) | 1,159 records (all types) |
| Active Permits to Take Water | 30 permits; largest purpose categories: Farm uses 10 (6 + 4), Water Supply 5, Commercial 4 | 4 permits; largest purpose categories: Commercial 2, Public administration 1, Water Supply 1 |
| Active construction and dewatering permits | 0 of 30 active Permits to Take Water | 1 of 4 active Permits to Take Water |
| Conservation authority | Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (99.6% of area) | Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (92.8% of area); Grey Sauble Conservation Authority (4.3% of area) |
| Provincial plan areas | Greenbelt 20.2%; Niagara Escarpment Plan 20.2% of area | None in the Oak Ridges Moraine, Greenbelt or Niagara Escarpment Plan areas |
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.
The two municipalities look very different underground. Clearview's well records show a median depth of wells with a water level of 29 m and a median static water level of 7 m, and 45% of records with a depth reach bedrock. Collingwood's wells are shallower, with a median depth of 12.2 m and water just 2.1 m below ground. Clearview's 30 active Permits to Take Water are spread across agricultural, municipal water supply, commercial and public uses.
The Township's terms of reference
Clearview publishes its hydrogeological report terms of reference as Appendix C of its Engineering Design Criteria (October 2025). The scope covers groundwater occurrence, seasonal levels and flow, recharge, baseflow, water quality, dewatering and its effects, the Township's drinking water sources, and, where private services are proposed, the D-5-5 and D-5-4 guidelines. (Waterfront lots in Muskoka meet a similar septic test with a 30 m leaching bed setback added; see lake setbacks in Muskoka.) The minimum investigation is specific:
- Wells nearby. Water wells within 500 m plotted from the provincial records, plus private well surveys as required.
- Monitoring. Enough monitoring wells to establish flow direction, vertical gradients and groundwater quality, and four-season monitoring with automatic water level recorders to set the seasonally high groundwater level.
- Testing. Single-well response tests or pumping tests for hydraulic conductivity, and identification of any flowing artesian conditions.
- Septic impacts. A nitrate and phosphorus impact assessment under D-5-4 where on-site sewage systems are proposed.
- Source protection and recharge. Source protection plan policies and vulnerable areas, ecologically significant recharge areas, and a water balance for sites in wellhead protection areas.
- Conservation authority. Overlap of the site and study area with NVCA regulated areas.
The level of detail is expected to match the risk posed by the taking and the uncertainty of the available information, and a revised development needs an updated report or a letter from the author.
Stayner's water capacity
The Township's water and sewer page says the existing Stayner system remains at capacity and new building permits are on hold until new water infrastructure is built. In March 2023 the Township told landowners in the Stayner settlement area that the supply had reached its available capacity, and no water units can be issued for development, including infill and accessory dwellings, that needs allocation not already secured.
The fix is a new groundwater source. With provincial Housing-Enabling Water Systems funding and contributions from Stayner developers, the Township is building a treatment, storage and pumping facility connected to the four existing wells at the Klondike Park Road well site. For a Stayner developer, the hydrogeological study still matters for the planning application, but the timing of building permits depends on that project, not on the study.
Groundwater-supplied communities
Clearview owns and operates six municipal residential water systems, each with a Permit to Take Water, and all draw on groundwater wells. New Lowell is the exception in part: it also receives water through the Collingwood to New Tecumseth pipeline from Collingwood's surface water treatment plant. Because the Township's own wells supply most residents, its terms of reference ask every study to evaluate effects of dewatering and development on Township drinking water sources, and sites in wellhead protection areas need a water balance.
NVCA and the Niagara Escarpment
Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority covers almost all of Clearview. It hosts the conservation authorities' 2013 hydrogeological assessment guidelines, written to standardize study requirements across authorities and recommending pre-consultation to set the scope. About 20.2% of the township is in the Niagara Escarpment Plan area, where the Niagara Escarpment Commission requires development permits for certain development; a permit considers effects on the escarpment's landscape and natural environment.
Hydrogeological study cost in Clearview
| Study | Starting point | Full span |
|---|---|---|
| Rural lot severance study | $5,500 – $8,500 | $2,500 – $17,500 |
| Development hydrogeology report | $12,000 – $18,000 | $12,000 – $150,000 |
| Well assessment and pumping test | $7,000 – $11,000 | $7,000 – $86,500 |
| Large sewage system hydrogeology | $7,000 – $11,000 | $7,000 – $37,000 |
| Water balance for a planning application | $3,000 – $5,000 | $3,000 – $14,000 |
These are indicative ranges based on typical scopes, the same province-wide ranges the estimator uses, not prices specific to Clearview. Locally, the work is reviewed by the Township of Clearview or Town of Collingwood and Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority and, for water takings, the ministry, and the scope they ask for is what moves a quote. The Township's four-season monitoring requirement sets the schedule for development studies. Excludes well drilling, government application fees and HST. How hydrogeological study prices are built explains each range.
Projects that need a hydrogeological study in Clearview and Collingwood
- Rural severances. D-5-5 well testing and a D-5-4 nitrate and phosphorus assessment.
- Subdivisions in the serviced communities. The full terms of reference, with four-season monitoring and a water balance near municipal wells.
- Commercial and institutional sites on private services. Larger septic systems and private water supplies needing pumping tests.
- Collingwood construction. With groundwater close to the surface in Collingwood's well records, basements and servicing need groundwater levels confirmed early.
Collingwood
Water from the bay, wells in rock
Collingwood is a separate municipality with its own requirements. It has a surface water treatment plant, which also feeds New Lowell in Clearview through the Collingwood to New Tecumseth pipeline. The town has 1,159 well records, and 74.5% of those with a depth reach bedrock.
When a private well and septic system are allowed
The Collingwood Official Plan (adopted December 2023 and approved by the County in September 2024, with some parts still under appeal) expects major development to use full municipal services. Under section 6.2.5, infilling on private or partial services is limited to a holding that yields no more than two lots, one existing and one new, and the water and sewage systems must be shown to the Town's satisfaction not to degrade groundwater quality or quantity, assessed through studies including hydrogeological or water quality impact assessments. The same section allows a building permit on a vacant lot of record once the proposed well and septic system are shown to be adequate, and asks for private systems to be laid out so they can connect to municipal services later.
Source protection and dewatering
Most of Collingwood is under the South Georgian Bay-Lake Simcoe Source Protection Plan, and the north-west corner under the Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula plan. Section 5.6.5 of the Collingwood Official Plan says anyone proposing a new use in a wellhead protection area or intake protection zone must pre-consult the Town or its Risk Management Official, who decide which studies are needed, and a non-residential application in a vulnerable area needs a section 59 notice. Where underground servicing in a vulnerable area needs dewatering that the ministry does not otherwise regulate, a Master Servicing Study or Servicing Options Report must show the dewatering will not contaminate or interfere with the aquifer.
Who reviews
The plan names Nottawasaga Valley and Grey Sauble conservation authorities as the Town's technical advisors (section 5.6.6). NVCA covers about 92.8% of Collingwood in the provincial boundary data, and the conservation authority hydrogeological guidelines it publishes expect a pre- and post-development water balance for most development applications and a record of the seasonally highest water table. Settle the scope with Collingwood planning staff at pre-consultation.
Working with a hydrogeologist in Clearview
Clearview's terms of reference spell out what reviewers will look for: four-season monitoring with automatic water level recorders, water wells within 500 m plotted from the provincial records, Nottawasaga Valley regulated areas identified and, where septic systems are proposed, a nitrate and phosphorus assessment under D-5-4. Allow a full year of monitoring in the schedule. In Stayner, new water allocation is on hold until a new well site comes on line, so ask the Township about servicing before a hydrogeological assessment in Clearview is scoped for development. Confirm that the person signing the Clearview report is a practising P.Geo. in Ontario's register of practising geoscientists.
Landowners creating a new lot in Clearview can read when a severance needs well and septic testing before contacting the Township.
Clearview and Collingwood questions
Do Collingwood wells reach bedrock?
Yes, most do: 74.5% of Collingwood well records with a depth reach bedrock, against 45% in Clearview. Collingwood wells that report a water level have a median depth of 12.2 m and a median water level of 2.1 m below ground, so basements and servicing trenches can meet groundwater early.
Can I get a building permit for new housing in Stayner right now?
Not where it needs new water allocation. The Township notified Stayner landowners in March 2023 that the municipal supply had reached its available capacity, and its Klondike Park Road well site page says no water units can be issued for land development, including infill and accessory dwellings, until new capacity is built, unless the allocation was already secured.
When will the new Stayner water supply be ready?
The Township received up to $35 million of provincial Housing-Enabling Water Systems funding in January 2025 for a treatment, storage and pumping facility connected to four existing wells at 1585 Klondike Park Road. Construction began in September 2025, and the Township's page projects completion in 2027. Check the page for current timelines before planning a project around it.
What does Clearview's hydrogeological terms of reference add to the usual list?
The Township's Appendix C terms of reference asks for four-season monitoring with automatic water level recorders, water wells within 500 m plotted from the provincial records, NVCA regulated areas identified, and, where on-site sewage systems are proposed, a nitrate and phosphorus impact assessment under D-5-4.
Where does Clearview's water come from?
From groundwater wells: the Township says all six of its municipal residential systems draw on wells, except that New Lowell is also supplied through the Collingwood to New Tecumseth pipeline from Collingwood's surface water treatment plant.
Do I need a Niagara Escarpment permit?
Possibly: about 20.2% of Clearview is in the Niagara Escarpment Plan area in the provincial boundary data. The Niagara Escarpment Commission requires a development permit for certain development in its area of development control, and its interactive map shows whether a property is inside it.
Is Collingwood covered by the same rules?
No, Collingwood is a separate municipality with its own requirements, but it shares the watershed: Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority covers about 92.8% of the town. Collingwood's well records show very shallow groundwater, a median 2.1 m below ground, so ask early whether basements and servicing will need dewatering, and ask the Town of Collingwood which terms of reference apply.
Studies for Clearview properties
- Severance Hydrogeological Study (D-5-4 / D-5-5)
Groundwater quality and well supply assessments for rural lot creation under MECP guidelines D-5-4 and D-5-5.
- Development Hydrogeological Study
Groundwater assessments that support subdivision, site plan and zoning applications.
- Water Supply Well Assessment & Pumping Tests
Pumping tests, well yield and interference assessments for commercial, agricultural and communal supplies.
- Hydrogeological Assessment for Large Septic Systems
Groundwater impact assessments for larger on-site sewage systems.
- Hydrogeological study cost guide
Ranges for every study type, side by side.
Near Clearview
Sources
- 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.
- Engineering Design Criteria, Appendix C: Hydrogeological Report Terms of Reference (October 2025) (opens in a new tab), Township of Clearview.
- Water and Sewer (Stayner water supply at capacity; water sources) (opens in a new tab), Township of Clearview.
- Hydrogeological Assessment Submissions: Conservation Authority Guidelines for Development Applications (June 2013) (opens in a new tab), Conservation Authorities Geoscience Group (no site of its own; copy published by Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority).
- Development Permits (opens in a new tab), Niagara Escarpment Commission.
- Town of Collingwood Official Plan (adopted December 11, 2023; approved by the County of Simcoe September 24, 2024; working copy modified January 30, 2026), sections 5.6.5, 5.6.6 and 6.2.5 (opens in a new tab), Town of Collingwood.
- 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.
- Klondike Park Road Well Site (opens in a new tab), Township of Clearview.
- D-5-4 Individual on-site sewage systems: water quality impact risk assessment (opens in a new tab), Government of Ontario (MECP).
- D-5-5 Private wells: water supply assessment (opens in a new tab), Government of Ontario (MECP).