Exploratory drilling, test well drilling and pumping tests - Valcartier Military Base

The Department of National Defence (DND) has proposed a project which aims to complete all the work in order to carry out three pumping tests in the summer of 2022. This project constitutes a preliminary step in the management of the TCE problem in the groundwater of the Valcartier region.

The project will be carried out in part on the territory of the Valcartier Base and DRDC-Valcartier. The attached figures illustrate the location of the work in each sector. The activities planned on each of the Base Valcartier and DRDC-Valcartier territories are detailed below.

Valcatier Base

  • Completion of one stratigraphic exploratory borehole;
  • Drilling and installation of one pumping test well;
  • Drilling and installation of a minimum of two observation wells in the vicinity of the pumping test well (locations to be determined);
  • Drilling and installation of one injection well for water discharge during the pumping tests;
  • Completion of one step-drawdown pump test (1 day duration) and one long pumping test (duration of up to 5 days);
  • Treatment of pumped water using a mobile treatment unit;
  • Discharge of the pumped and treated water via the injection well.

To allow access and drilling at the stratigraphic exploratory borehole and at the pumping test well location, an access road and a work area will have to be built. The access road and the work area, which will have been cleared of trees beforehand, will have to be removed from the stumps and prepared with granular material to allow the passage of heavy machinery (drill and service truck).

During the pumping tests, the water pumped from the pumping test well will be treated using a temporary treatment unit that will be installed in the work area. The treated water will then be conveyed to the injection well via a temporary pipe that will be laid on the ground surface. The pumped and treated water will be re-injected into the aquifer into the injection well.

DRDC-Valcartier

  • Construction of one stratigraphic exploratory borehole;
  • Drilling and installation of two pumping test wells;
  • Drilling and installation of a minimum of four observation wells in the vicinity of the pumping test wells (locations to be determined);
  • Construction of a discharge point for pumped and treated water in the existing ditch, downstream;
  • Conducting two step-drawdown pump tests (1 day test at each test well) and two long pumping tests (duration of up to 5 days; 1 long test per test well);
  • Treatment of pumped water using a mobile treatment unit;
  • Discharge of pumped and treated water into the ditch at the engineered discharge point.

To allow access and drilling at the stratigraphic exploratory borehole and at the location of the pumping test wells, a work area will need to be constructed along the existing access road. The work area, which will have been previously cleared, will have to be removed from the stumps and prepared with granular material to allow the passage of heavy machinery (drill and service truck).

During the pumping tests, the water pumped from the pumping test wells will be treated using a temporary treatment unit that will be installed in the work area. The treated water will then be conveyed to the engineered discharge point in the existing ditch, using a temporary pipe that will be laid on the surface of the ground.

The engineered discharge point in the ditch will consist of riprap to reduce the velocity of the water to minimize erosion and the suspension of sediments from the ditch bottom. At the end of the work, the riprap will be completely removed.

Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

 

Latest update

June  22, 2022— The Department of National Defence issued its Notice of Determination and determined that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Key documents

Key documents
Document Number Document Title File Date
2 Notice of Determination - June 22, 2022
1 Public Comment Period on Intent to Make a Determination - April 5, 2022

Contacts

Annie Labelle-Lauzon
Department of National Defence
Annie Labelle-Lauzon, Project Manager
101 Colonel By Dr
Ottawa, Ontario
Email: Annie.Labelle-Lauzon@forces.gc.ca


  • Location

    • Defence Research and Development Canada - Valcartier (Quebec)
    • Valcatier Base (Quebec)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Building and Property Development
    • Water Management

  • Assessment Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    2022-04-05

  • Proponent

    Department of National Defence

  • Authorities

    • Department of National Defence

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    83519

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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