New BrunswickThe New Brunswick Groundwater Association says it’s had reports of many wells going dry because of the dry summer and fall — from Moncton to St Stephen in the south to the Acadian Peninsula in the north. Wells in southern and northeastern areas are being hit the hardestJennifer Sweet · CBC News · Posted: Oct 23, 2025 3:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesTM Burpee Drilling, based west of Fredericton, has reported a dozen dry-well calls since the summer. (TM Burpee Drilling/Facebook)The New Brunswick Groundwater Association says it’s hearing reports of many wells in the province going dry. “This magnitude, it’s something that we haven’t really seen before,” said Roger Roy, executive director.“We’re starting to see some all over the province right now.”That includes southern New Brunswick from Moncton to St. Stephen and the Acadian Peninsula in the northeast, he said. The association is led by representatives of well-drilling companies, and according to its website, the group’s mission is to preserve and protect the province’s water resource.Roy keeps in regular contact with drilling contractors. They haven’t provided any specific numbers to him but relayed anecdotally that they’ve seen quite a few. Most of those going dry are shallow wells, 50 to 60 feet (about 15 to 18 metres) deep.Steve Buell of TM Burpee Drilling in Scotch Settlement, west of Fredericton, reports 10 to 12 dry well calls since the summer. Conditions as of the end of September show parts of New Brunswick experiencing exceptional and extreme drought. (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada)Some were up to 120 feet deep, or more than 36 metres. Those wells were located in the area from Woodstock to Fredericton, and in the Grand Lake, Chipman and Gagetown areas.Sometimes wells must be drilled to a depth of 500 feet, or more than 150 metres, before enough water is found.According to the Canadian Drought Monitor, the entire eastern half of New Brunswick is in extreme drought, and the region along the Bay of Fundy east of Saint John is in exceptional drought.Extreme means a one in 20-year event, and exceptional, one in 50.This week’s rain helps a bit, but it far from solves the problem, Roy said.A lot of dry earth would have to be saturated before any rainwater made it into underground reservoirs, he said.“It can take months or it can take years to replenish the aquifer or the water underground.”Some municipal reservoirs are also low, he said.He’s urging residents and municipalities to take the situation seriously.“If we do keep going this way, and we don’t have the amount of rain or snow that we’re used to … next summer you might not have any water. Or you might be on a restricted use of water, you know, for the next few years.”Roy’s advice is to conserve water as much as possible, by not doing laundry every day, only using the dishwasher for full loads, and turning off the tap while brushing teeth.LISTEN | Groundwater Association worries about dry wells in N.B.:Information Morning – Fredericton13:09Groundwater worriesIf you’re on a well, you might be concerned about water levels after several months of drought conditions. Colleen Kitts-Goguen spoke to Roger Roy with the NB Groundwater Assoc. about wells running dry in the province, and what to do if that happens.Steven Watson of Harvey, southwest of Fredericton, has as 235-foot well and has been dealing with low water issues and taking conservation measures for months.“I had to resort to sponge baths there for a while,” he said.Since July, Watson has been hauling 30 litres of spring water to his home on Rear Settlement Road twice a week to use for washing dishes and flushing the toilet. He does his laundry at a relative’s house.He uses a long piece of string with some nuts tied on for weight to check for water in his well. He also had a low pressure switch installed, because he’s wary of burning out another pump. He’s on his third since moving in six years ago.Pumps can overheat if the water is too low, he explained, because the pressure point at which they are set to shut off is never reached. He’s still waiting for the drilling company to scope things out, but suspects lack of rain is the issue.ABOUT THE AUTHORJennifer Sweet has been telling the stories of New Brunswickers for over 20 years. She is originally from Bathurst, got her journalism degree from Carleton University and is based in Fredericton. She can be reached at 451-4176 or jennifer.sweet@cbc.ca.With files from Information Morning Fredericton
Drought has dried many wells all over New Brunswick, groundwater association says
