Which Alberta counties have the most new water wells drilled?

The Alberta counties with the most new water wells drilled in recent years include Red Deer County, Lacombe County, Ponoka County, Athabasca County, and the areas around Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray. These counties are identified due to strong population growth, increased agricultural demand, and proximity to oil and gas operations.engage.sylvanlake+2​

Key Counties for Water Well Drilling

• Red Deer County: Active projects for municipal and domestic water supply wells reflect growing regional demand, with several new groundwater wells being drilled to support the expanding population near Sylvan Lake.engage.sylvanlake​

• Lacombe and Ponoka Counties: Historically recognized as central Alberta “groundwater hotspots” due to agricultural and residential demand, with trends continuing through 2025.albertawilderness​

• Athabasca County: Noted for leading the province in total new wells drilled in recent years, driven by both agricultural and energy sector activity.boereport​

• Grande Prairie and Peace River Counties: High well installation rates are reported in both the Grande Prairie and Peace River/Slave Lake regions, reflecting agricultural expansion and some energy projects.boereport​

• Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray area): Large numbers of water wells are intermittently drilled to support development, mining, and municipal growth in the northeast.boereport​

Data Sources and Tools

• The Government of Alberta’s water well database and interactive maps allow viewing and tallying new well reports by county and township for up-to-date figures.groundwater.alberta​

• Athabasca, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, and northeast Alberta (Fort McMurray area) remain among the highest for new well counts each year, while central agricultural counties like Lacombe and Ponoka continue to see significant ongoing activity.groundwater.alberta+2​

For precise, current annual listings of new water wells by county, users can directly access the Alberta Water Well Information Database, which provides comprehensive search and reporting functionality by legal land description, county, and date.groundwater.alberta​

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