Water well drillers
Career Overview
People in this occupation:
- Operate a variety of mobile water well drilling rigs and equipment to drill and monitor residential, commercial and industrial water wells
- Work for water well drilling contractors and governments
- May be self-employed
Job Titles
Duties
Water well drillers:
- Review client needs and proposed locations for water wells
- Operate water well drilling rigs and other equipment to drill, bore and dig for residential, commercial and industrial water wells or environmental assessment
- Install well screens, casings and other well fixtures
- Document geological formations that are found
- Clean and disinfect wells in preparation for use
- Do routine mechanical maintenance work on water well drilling rigs and equipment
- Install, test, maintain and repair water well pumps, piping systems and equipment and perform pumping tests to assess well performance
- May provide other drilling services, such as repair or dismantling of existing water well structure, elevator shaft drilling and hydro pole drilling
Special duties
Water well drillers may specialize in a specific method of drilling, such as cable, rotary, auger, hammer or reverse circulation drilling.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
55% Employed Full Time
73%- Work takes place outdoors, so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
- Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools may be a potential source of injury
- Loud noise in the workplace can affect hearing
- Work may involve heavy vibrations and back and forth motion of the body
- Work involves contact with water
Career Pathways
Movement is possible among the various well drilling operators in this group.
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- Completion of a two- to three-year water well drilling apprenticeship program, or
- Two to three years of work experience in the trade combined with college or industry courses in water well drilling is usually required to be eligible for trade certification
- Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia
For more information please see SkilledTradesBC's website at https://skilledtradesbc.ca.
Water well pump installers who are certified for that occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.
For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.
Contact SkilledTradesBC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Trades training resources
Visit our trades training page at www.workbc.ca/trades to learn about apprenticeship and trades training in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
55Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 0 | 0.0% |
| Kootenay | 10 | 18.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 10 | 18.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 15 | 27.3% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 15 | 27.3% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
0Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | Not available | Not available |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 0 | 1.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | Not available | Not available |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Resources
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British Columbia Ground Water Association (BCGWA)www.bcgwa.org