PEI Water Registry

The PEI Water Act strengthens the way we manage and protect our natural water resources and supporting ecosystems. The Act regulates how ground and surface water is extracted and used.  It requires transparency for all activity pertaining to water resources in the province. In compliance with the transparency requirements of the Water Act, the Province will report on the state of water to Islanders. All the PEI water data and related information is available in the PEI Water Registry. 

What information will I find in the Water Registry?  

The Water Registry is a source of water data and various water related reports. It contains the results of water monitoring, records of water permits issued, and documents about climate and water science. Dashboards present current and historical data with interactive maps, graphs and explanatory text which allow the user to manipulate how the data is displayed. Registry information is updated based on the type of data and its collection method and frequency, i.e. manually or automatic, daily, seasonal or annual.

At present the Registry includes two main categories of information, water quantity and water quality, as described below. The Registry is meant to be a living website, with new information added as it becomes available. In addition, various science reports are also included in the Registry. 

Water Quantity

Groundwater is PEI’s sole source of drinking water.  It’s an important supply of water for industrial, commercial and agriculture use. The natural quality of our ground water is excellent, and the supply is generous, stable and predictable because of the high recharge rate through our thick sandstone bedrock. This water is available to us through our municipal water utility or from private wells. 

Search the following datasets:

• Water Quantity Indicator presents the amount of water available in a watershed based on annual usage while reserving water to sustain aquatic life.
• Water Usage Permits reports usage by permit holders categorized by purpose.
• Climate Change Coastal Flood Hazard Map displays the Coastal Hazards Information Platform (CHIP).
• Groundwater Level Monitoring presents current and historical water levels at long-term observation wells.
• High Capacity Wells shows where high-capacity wells/wellfields are located and how the water is used, i.e. municipal supply, commercial, agriculture, etc.  
• Stream Flow Monitoring provides current water measurements in rivers so permit holders can determine if flow levels are suitable for irrigation. 
• Water Well Records displays data collected by well drillers when they construct a well including diameter, casing length, static water level, etc.

Water Quality

Groundwater is impacted by the materials it encounters as it flows. Natural elements like rainwater and rock minerals and substances from human activity like road salt, nitrates, pesticides and sediment affect water quality and quantity. Ecosystems that support our water supply are vulnerable to other environmental factors such as warming temperatures, extreme weather events, and increasing need for irrigation. The Province supports a monitoring program to measure the level of contaminants in water, and assess the overall health of ecosystems that support our water supply. 

• Watershed Report Cards report on water quality and overall health of PEI watersheds. Most PEI watersheds are rated based on data collected annually.
• Estuary Dissolved Oxygen Indicator provides data that assesses whether an estuary and its aquatic life is stressed by either high or low dissolved oxygen levels. 
• Drinking Water in Watersheds contains scientific information and data about the common constituents dissolved in Island water, i.e. calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, etc. and naturally occurring compounds with health-based guidelines.
• Tracking Anoxic Events explains the signs and conditions of anoxic events, why they are important, and the location of events reported and recorded in PEI estuaries from 2017.
• Nitrate in Streams shows the long-term trends of nitrate in ten streams across PEI.
• Pesticide Monitoring presents data from long-term pesticide monitoring programs including:
  • Monitoring streams and stream sediment in 9 PEI streams.
  • Monitoring drinking water - Groundwater data is collected annually from ~100 wells providing drinking water to private homes, schools, municipalities and seniors’ housing.
• Wastewater Treatment Outflow displays details about each wastewater treatment facility including location, treatment type and level of discharge.

Note: the site is best viewed in an up-to-date internet browser on a computer or tablet.