Serving the mid-Island
Water wells on Gabriola Island
Electoral Area B relies entirely on an isolated island aquifer.
Nanaimo Well Drilling drills water wells on Gabriola Island over Aquifer 709. We look at more than 1000 provincial well records before we quote your job. When we test wells on the island, median depth sits near 34 m with a median yield around 4.5 US gallons a minute. We design your system with Islands Trust land rules and annual aquifer recharge in mind.
An island groundwater system has no external water source feeding it. Local rainfall on Gabriola Island supplies every private well, so everyone shares the same underground storage. That is why we watch the numbers here more closely than we would on the main island.
What do the island's well records show?
Aquifer 709 contains over 1000 logged wells, giving us extensive historical data for Gabriola Island. The median well depth sits near 34 m, though local records show wells both much shallower and far deeper. Median yield sits around 4.5 US gallons a minute with a geometric mean nearer 3.8 and a maximum of 54, so your neighbour's well tells you very little. Median depth to water is around 6 m, and 3 flowing artesian wells are recorded on the island.
How much water can your well actually get?
Annual aquifer recharge averages roughly 199 mm per year, which is about 20 per cent of total rainfall. That natural recharge rate sets the limit for all water use. Regional tracking showed island groundwater below normal in June 2026, leading many owners to collect rainwater alongside their wells. When we drill on Gabriola Island, we size your pumping system to work within annual recharge limits.
Is your well at risk from salt water?
Sea water intrusion is logged in coastal areas around Silva Bay and Degnen Bay. Island well water often contains elevated iron, manganese, sulphur, and mineral hardness. Pumping a coastal well faster than recharge brings in salt water, so we carefully control your pumping rate on shoreline lots.
We drill island wells with strict attention to annual recharge rates and coastal salt risks. Before committing to a depth or a pump rate, get your property looked at.
Nearby service areas
Find out what is under your property.
Free written quotes across the rural Regional District of Nanaimo and in Parksville.