Manitoba requiring liability insurance as part of proposed groundwater requirements

New rules proposed in May would replace Manitoba’s almost 50-year-old groundwater regulations as part of the provincial strategy to better protect the 25% of Manitobans who rely on well water, conservation and water stewardship minister Gord Mackintosh has announced.

The proposed changes would include new driller responsibilities and liability insurance requirements to protect landowners, including protection from the cost of uncontrolled flowing wells, Mackintosh said.

There are currently about 35,000 active water wells. Approximately 1,500 such wells are drilled in the province each year.

The government’s outline of the proposal can be found at:

http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?archive=2012-05-01&item=14175