Contractor Certification

Constructing, altering and decommissioning wells, and installing well pumps are restricted activities in British Columbia. As such, in most cases drillers and pump installers must be registered with the government to legally operate in the province (or be operating under the direct supervision of a registered well driller, registered well pump installer or a professional hydrogeologist or geotechnical engineer). In order to become registered and listed on the Register of Well Drillers or Register of Well Pump Installers (S.8 and S.10 of GWPR), the individual must apply to the deputy comptroller at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy by completing a registration form, located here: Application for registration of well driller and well pump installer

To become registered, you must hold a Certificate of Qualification (CoQ) issued by a recognized authority. In British Columbia, a CoQ for a well driller or well pump installer can be obtained through SkilledTradesBC (formerly ITA). SkilledTradesBC issues CoQs for three classes of well driller (Water Well Driller, Geotechnical/Environmental Driller, Geoexchange Driller) and for Well Pump Installers. The BCGWA and GeoExchange BC assist SkilledTradesBC in vetting applications submitted by those wishing to challenge the SkilledTradesBC certification exams.

If you wish to challenge the SkilledTradesBC certification exam for your trade, you must demonstrate having at least 4,860 hours of applicable work experience. Applicants who challenge the exam must obtain a score of 70% to pass.

Exam Preparation Resources:

The BCGWA have compiled the following list of resources to help candidates prepare for the SkilledTradesBC exam:

Water Well Driller:

• Groundwater and Wells, 3rd Edition (Robert J. Sterrett / Johnson Screens) – NGWA Bookstore
• Ground Water Protection Regulation Handbook (BCGWA), for provincial regulations and suggested industry practices applicable to drilling and servicing wells in BC
• Professional Designations Information and Study Guide (NGWA), for trades and professionals preparing to challenge NGWA certification exams
• Red Deer College (Alberta) – training courses and academic literature

Geotechnical / Environmental Driller:

• Groundwater and Wells 3rd Edition (Robert J. Sterrett/Johnson Screens) – NGWA Bookstore
• Ground Water Protection Regulation Handbook (BCGWA), for provincial regulations and suggested industry practices applicable to drilling and servicing wells in BC
• ASTM Standards on Ground Water and Vadose Zone Investigations, 2nd Edition (ASTM Committee D-18 on Soil and Rock) – ASTM International
• Handbook of Suggested Practices for the Design and Installation of Ground-Water Monitoring Wells (Linda Aller et al) – NGWA Bookstore
• Industrial Hydraulic Technology Bulletin 0232-B1 (Parker Hannifin Corp, Hydraulics Group Training Dept)
• Professional Designations Information and Study Guide – NGWA Bookstore
• Australian Drilling Manual –The Manual of Methods, Applications and Management (ADITC Australian Drilling Industry Training Committee Ltd) – Amazon 
• In Situ Remediation: Design Considerations and Performance Monitoring Technical Guidance Document, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
• Groundwater sampling, instrumentation and installation procedures (Solinst Canada Ltd.)

Well Pump Installer:

• Ground Water Regulation Handbook (BCGWA), for provincial regulations and suggested industry practices applicable to drilling and servicing wells in BC
• Water Systems Handbook (Water Systems Council)
• Private Water Systems Handbook (Midwest Plan Service)
• Planning for an Individual Water System (American Association for Vocational Instructional Materials) – Amazon
• Submersible Motors (Franklin Electric)
• Water Well Handbook 7th Ed. (Keith Anderson, Missouri Water Well and Pump Contractors Association) – NGWA Bookstore
• Groundwater and Wells 3rd Edition, (Robert J. Sterrett/Johnson Screens) – NGWA Bookstore
• The Pump Book (Bob Pelikan)- Lulu Press
• Professional Designations Information and Study Guide (NGWA), for trades and professionals preparing to challenge NGWA certification exams
• Grundfos Canada– online training literature (“Download Literature”)

Geoexchange Driller:

Refer to GeoExchange BC for more information.