| #Q001 | operational | operational | mandatory | Site-specific Information for Drinking Water Use | drinking water | Site-specific information is required to determine the applicability of current and future drinking water use at a site. | | high |
| #Q002 | operational | operational | guidance | Determination of Current Drinking Water Wells | drinking water | The presence of current drinking water wells or surface water intakes can be determined using the following methods: - (a) A search of the Ministry of Environment's WELLS Database . - (b) Performing a door to door survey. - (c) A search of B.C.'s Water License Database . - (d) Contacting local municipalities, water utility owners, Medical Health Officers and local Drinking Water Officers. | May not be required in every circumstance, provided the locations can be demonstrated to be accurate. | high |
| #Q003 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Additional Evaluation of Groundwater Flow Pathway | drinking water | At such sites, additional evaluation of the groundwater flow pathway may be required to rule out current drinking water use. | At some sites, there may be potential for adverse impacts on current drinking water uses located greater than 500 metres, or 100 metres upgradient of a site property boundary or groundwater contamination source. This could include sites where preferential flow pathways are present, where there are high volume groundwater extraction wells or where contaminant plumes are large and expanding. | medium |
| #Q004 | monitoring | operational | guidance | Well Capture Zone Analysis | drinking water | Where applicable and scientifically defensible, well capture zone analysis may be carried out by a qualified professional on drinking water wells located within 500 metres or 100 metres upgradient of the site property boundary or groundwater contamination source. | | high |
| #Q005 | operational | operational | mandatory | Evaluation of Future Drinking Water Use | drinking water | If it is determined that groundwater and surface water at or nearby a site are not currently used for drinking water purposes, future drinking water use may apply and must also be evaluated. | When current drinking water use does not apply | high |
| #Q006 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity | drinking water | Site-specific measurements of hydraulic conductivity and calculation of bulk hydraulic conductivity as described below are required to evaluate whether a geological unit below a site qualifies as a drinking water use aquifer. | | high |
| #Q007 | operational | operational | recommended | Assessment of Bedrock Aquifers for Drinking, Irrigation or Livestock Use | drinking water, agricultural water | The assessment of bedrock aquifers for current drinking water, irrigation or livestock water use should be evaluated as described under Section 3.1 and 4.0. | | high |
| #Q008 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Assessment of Bedrock Aquifers for Future Drinking Water Use | drinking water | Bedrock aquifers must be assessed for future drinking water use when: - no bedrock aquifers are mapped in the BC Water Resource Atlas and; - soil or groundwater containing substances at concentrations above standards protective of drinking water extend to the bedrock surface. | When no bedrock aquifers are mapped and contamination extends to the bedrock surface | high |
| #Q009 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Assessment of Bedrock Hydraulic Properties and Yield | drinking water | Where bedrock assessment is required, hydraulic properties and yield must be assessed on the basis of in situ field investigations conducted at the site or within a 500 metre radial distance of the site property boundary where the bedrock can be shown to be of the same geological formation. | Where bedrock assessment is required | high |
| #Q010 | operational | operational | recommended | Assessment of Bedrock Aquifers for Aquatic Life Water Use | aquatic life | The assessment of bedrock aquifers for aquatic life water use should be evaluated as described under Section 5, 'Aquatic life water use', above. | | high |
| #Q011 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Determination of Contamination for Natural Confining Barriers (DNAPL) | other | Where dense nonaqueous phase liquids are present, contamination of natural confining barriers for both Type A and Type B must be determined on the basis of substance concentrations in both soil and groundwater. | Where dense nonaqueous phase liquids are present | high |
| #Q012 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity for Natural Confining Barriers | other | Site-specific measurements of hydraulic conductivity are required to evaluate whether a geological unit below a site qualifies as a natural confining barrier. | | high |
| #Q013 | operational | operational | mandatory | Application of Most Stringent Water Standards | drinking water, agricultural water, aquatic life | Where multiple water uses apply at a site, the presence of contamination must be determined using the most stringent of all of the applicable numerical water standards. | Where multiple water uses apply at a site | high |
| #Q014 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Application for Director's Decision of Water Use | other | Where water uses determined to apply at a site under this protocol are considered unlikely or unreasonable, site owners and operators may request a Director to make a site-specific decision of water use. Such requests must be accompanied by a completed Contaminated Sites Services Application form and a supporting technical report prepared by a qualified professional. | When requesting a Director's decision of water use | high |
| #Q015 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Application for Decision of No Drinking Water Use | drinking water | Applications for a decision of no drinking water use must be accompanied by a completed Contaminated Sites Services Application form and a supporting technical report prepared by a qualified professional. | When applying for a decision of no drinking water use | high |
| #Q016 | administrative | operational | recommended | Justification for Decision of No Drinking Water Use | drinking water | However, multiple site-specific conditions should be demonstrated to apply. Satisfying a single listed condition or two or more conditions that fall under a single category (e.g., groundwater demand) is unlikely to provide sufficient justification for a decision of no drinking water use. | When applying for a decision of no drinking water use | high |
| #Q017 | administrative | reporting | mandatory | Evidence of Natural Confining Barrier for Shallow Aquifers | drinking water | Where deep drinking water aquifers are present below a site, applications for a Director's decision of no drinking water use in a shallow aquifer must be accompanied by evidence of a natural confining barrier above the drinking water aquifer. | Where deep drinking water aquifers are present below a site | high |
| #Q018 | operational | operational | mandatory | Groundwater Flow Direction Requirement for Marine Receptors | drinking water | Under this condition groundwater flow and contaminant migration must be toward the marine environment and not to neighbouring parcels. | The site is located adjacent to the marine receiving environment and groundwater pumping for drinking water use would result in seawater intrusion. | high |
| #Q019 | administrative | operational | mandatory | Default Assumption of Drinking Water Aquifer Presence | drinking water | Where information is unavailable or inadequate to demonstrate an absence of drinking water aquifers below a site, drinking water aquifers are considered to exist. | Where information is unavailable or inadequate to demonstrate absence | high |
| #Q020 | monitoring | operational | guidance | Well Capture Zone Analysis for Irrigation or Livestock Watering | agricultural water | Well capture zone analysis may be carried out on current irrigation or livestock watering wells within 500 metres distance or 100 metres upgradient of the site property boundary or groundwater contamination source. Where it can be shown that site groundwater will not enter the capture zone of any nearby irrigation or livestock watering wells, current irrigation or livestock water uses do not apply. | | high |
| #Q021 | operational | operational | mandatory | Demonstration of No Flow to Aquatic Receiving Environment | aquatic life | Aquatic life water use applies to all groundwater located within 500 metres of an aquatic receiving environment unless it can be demonstrated that the groundwater does not flow to that receiving environment (e.g., groundwater in confined aquifers below shallow ponds or creeks). | When seeking to exclude aquatic life use within 500 metres of a receiving environment | high |
| #Q022 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Investigation Radius for Current Drinking Water Wells | drinking water | For site investigation purposes, nearby drinking water wells or surface water intakes are those located within a radial distance of 500 metres from the site property boundary or, where the groundwater contamination source extends beyond the property boundary, a radial distance of 500 metres from the groundwater contamination source. | Applicable for determining current drinking water use during site investigation. | high |
| #Q023 | monitoring | operational | guidance | Reduced Investigation Radius Based on Groundwater Flow Direction | drinking water | If the groundwater flow direction has been reliably determined using approved methods (see Technical Guidance 8), nearby current uses may be limited to include drinking water wells or surface water intakes located 100 metres upgradient and 500 metres cross-gradient and downgradient of the site property boundary or outer extent of the groundwater contamination source where it extends beyond the property boundary. | Only if groundwater flow direction is reliably determined using approved methods. | high |
| #Q024 | monitoring | operational | mandatory | Investigation Radius for Irrigation and Livestock Wells | agricultural water | Nearby irrigation or livestock watering wells or surface water intakes are those located within a radial distance of 500 metres from the site property boundary or, where the groundwater contamination source extends beyond the property boundary, a radial distance of 500 metres from the groundwater contamination source. | Applicable for determining current irrigation or livestock water use. | high |
| #Q025 | operational | operational | mandatory | Aquatic Life Use Applicability Beyond 500 Metres | aquatic life | Aquatic life water use applies to groundwater located beyond 500 metres of an aquatic receiving environment if the groundwater contains substances with concentrations above the aquatic life water use standards and has the potential to migrate within 500 metres of the aquatic receiving environment. | When groundwater contains substances above standards and has migration potential toward an aquatic receiving environment. | high |
| #Q026 | operational | operational | mandatory | Future Drinking Water Use in Mapped Bedrock Aquifers | drinking water | Future drinking water use applies to bedrock aquifers mapped in the BC Water Resource Atlas. | Applicable where bedrock aquifers are identified in the specified atlas. | high |
| #Q027 | monitoring | operational | guidance | Reduced Investigation Radius for Irrigation and Livestock Water Use | agricultural water | If the groundwater flow direction has been reliably determined using approved methods (see Technical Guidance 8), nearby current uses may be limited to include irrigation and livestock watering wells or surface water intakes located within 100 metres upgradient and 500 metres cross gradient or downgradient of the site property boundary or outer extent of the groundwater contamination source where it extends beyond the property boundary. | Only if groundwater flow direction is reliably determined using approved methods. | high |
| #Q028 | operational | operational | mandatory | Bedrock Water Use Application to Overlying Units | drinking water, agricultural water | If current drinking water, irrigation or livestock watering wells are located in a bedrock aquifer below or nearby a site, the corresponding water use applies to the bedrock aquifer and to overlying geological units. | When current use wells are located in a bedrock aquifer below or nearby a site. | high |
| #Q029 | administrative | operational | guidance | Site-specific Decision for Bedrock Confining Barrier | drinking water | Where bedrock investigations indicate that part of the bedrock unit at a site would operate as a natural confining barrier protecting a deeper more permeable bedrock unit, site owners may seek a site-specific decision of water use from the Director under Section 9.0 of this protocol. | Where bedrock investigations indicate the presence of a natural confining barrier in the bedrock. | high |