Working Well Program Update

February 2014 Issue 7

Clean Water. Well Protected. Since 2008 the Working Well program has been delivering community-based workshops and providing well owners with the information and tools they need to properly care for their wells. The Working Well program is helping to ensure safe and secure groundwater supplies for all Albertans.

2012-2013 Program Report IN THIS ISSUE: The Working Well program includes four elements or tools for extending key messages to water well owners: hands-on workshops for well owners, 2012-2013 Program Report 1 interactive activities and exhibits, information resources, and community outreach. Workshops are the cornerstone of the program, and the primary Workshop Facts & Figures 1 tool for engaging well owners. The following is an overview of the information collected and results achieved from the workshops conducted between April 1, Workshop Feedback 1 2012 and March 31, 2013. Participant Reaction, Learning 2 Workshop Facts, Figures and Feedback and Action Evaluation is a key strategic priority of the Working Well program. Workshop statistics, as well as participant and host feedback is collected to: Hosts, Staff and Resources 3 • Track performance of and improve workshops to help achieve Working Well Workshop Locations Map 4 program outcomes. • Maintain accountability and credibility through transparent reporting on program performance. WORKING WELL PARTNERS: • Provide the rationale for continued program support by partners. Environment and Workshop Statistics Sustainable Resource Development This section summarizes how many workshops were delivered, total number of Alberta Agriculture and Rural participants and average workshop attendance in 2012-2013. Development Summary Workshop Statistics Total Average Total Since 2008 Alberta Health Total workshops requested 30 163 Alberta Health Services Total workshops completed 25 145 Alberta Water Well Drilling Total number of participants 592 4008 Association Average attendance at workshops 25 Alberta’s Counties and Municipal Total delivery staff participating 79 Districts Workshop Feedback CONTACT US: Feedback is actively collected at every workshop from hosts and participants alike. Surveys are also conducted For more information contact: post-workshop with participants who request a follow Ron Stojanowski, Program Manager up call. Here are highlights of the information collected Email [email protected] this past year: Participant Reaction Participant Action As they have since the program began, participants Since the start of the program, hundreds of follow up continue to be supportive of the workshops and surveys have been conducted with workshop participants appreciative of the information provided. Many who provided permission for the program to conduct a participants valued the hands-on element of the draw your follow up call 6 to 8 months post-workshop. More than well exercise, the displays and well model, and the general 150 follow up calls were made to workshop participants in knowledge they gained about how water wells work. 2012-2013. Overall, participants felt the workshops were thorough These follow up calls present an opportunity for the and informative, very well prepared, well presented and program to rec0nnect with participants, and gather worth their time to attend. valuable information on what participants have done with Most participants felt that the workshop was worthwhile what they learned at the workshops. In 2012-2013, of those and provided valuable and useful take-home resources participants who said they would: (i.e. the workshop binder and fact sheets), and they • 93% regularly inspected their well and the area around appreciated having access to knowledgeable, experienced their well. technical experts (including ESRD and ARD staff, drillers • 89% ensured the ground around their well is mounded and Public Health Inspectors). to prevent water from pooling. • 84% kept records of water testing results, well Participant Learning maintenance and treatments. In surveys completed immediately after the workshop: • 94% avoided overpumping their wells. • 97% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that • 95% ensured their well was securely capped. the workshop increased their understanding of how groundwater works. • 98% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that i the workshop increased their understanding of how their well works. • 99% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that Did you Know? the workshop increased their understanding of well Since the program started in 2008: drilling reports. • 98% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the • More than 4,000 Albertans have attended a workshop increased their understanding of common Working Well workshop. well problems and contamination hazards. • More than 1200 follow-up surveys have been • Almost all (99%) of respondents agreed or strongly conducted with those workshop participants who agreed that their understanding of well maintenance, requested a follow-up call. monitoring and management increased as a result of • 145 workshops have been delivered in attending the workshop. communities across the province. • Nearly all participants (99%) agreed that the workshop provided information that will be helpful in maintaining and managing their water wells.

2 i Clean Water. Well Protected. Well Water. Clean http://esrd.alberta.ca/WorkingWell information and resources you need at: you and resources information Email us at [email protected]. Have questions? Want more information? more Want questions? Have Working Well offers many information resources, resources, information many offers Well Working to protect and maintain their water wells. Find the wells. their water maintain and protect to free of charge, to people interested in learning how how in learning interested people to charge, of free Interested in Attending a Workshop? a in Attending Interested Visit near you. a community to is coming A workshop for information on http://esrd.alberta.ca/WorkingWell workshops. upcoming are If you for all workshops. is required Pre-registration by please pre-register a workshop, in attending interested host. the workshop calling These online modules are available to everyone, but will but everyone, to available are These online modules want participants who workshop to valuable be especially practice and/or about more learn to or want a refresher, the in at participated they activity well’ your the ‘draw workshops. learn more to people the ability now gives This online tool of their own the comfort from works how their well about computers. to the going by module can find the e-Learning You and on the “Resources clicking home page, Well Working on the “E-Learning clicking and then page Links” Related link. Works” Well Your - How Module and animated on a narrated working currently are We will be made that presentation of the workshop version in the near future. website Well on the Working available for updates. website Well the Working Check 3

Draw your well. your Draw How your well works. well your How report. drilling your Understanding Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and Rural Alberta Agriculture Resource and Sustainable Alberta Environment Development Services Alberta Health Well Water Contractors (Alberta Well Water Licensed Association) Drilling

3. 2. 1. This new, e-Learning has three modules: has three e-Learning This new, module called “How Your Well Works.” Well Your called “How module Last year we launched an interactive, online e-learning online e-learning an interactive, launched we Last year New Working Well Resources Well New Working

the workshops and the Working Well Program. Well and the Working the workshops Their participation is critical to the continued success of success the continued Their participation is critical to participants’ questions. participants’ questions. the presentation, and they assist and answer workshop workshop assist and answer and they the presentation, and organization, they deliver one or more sections of one or more deliver they and organization, • • • preparation help with pre-workshop provide staff Delivery • organizations, including: organizations, staff - those individuals from the Working Well partner Working the from staff - those individuals commitment and participation of our workshop delivery delivery and participation of our workshop commitment bring these workshops to their local communities. communities. their local to these workshops bring be possible without the not would The workshops the information the program provides and the ability to to and the ability provides the information the program Staff Delivery Hosts continue to be very supportive and appreciative of and appreciative supportive be very to continue Hosts registrations. for venues, advertise and promote workshops, and take and take workshops, and promote advertise for venues, community and agri-environmental organizations, arrange arrange organizations, and agri-environmental community include Counties, Municipal Districts and not-for-profit and not-for-profit Municipal Districts Counties, include bring the workshops to their communities. Hosts, which which Hosts, their communities. to the workshops bring Workshop hosts play a very important role by helping to to by helping important role a very hosts play Workshop Workshop Hosts Workshop

123°0'0"W 120°0'0"W 117°0'0"W 114°0'0"W 111°0'0"W 108°0'0"W N " 0 ' N " ° 0 0 0 ' 6 ° 0 0 6

I.D. No. 24 Wood Buffalo

Mackenzie County

County of Northern Lights Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo N " 0 ' N " ° 0 0 ' 7 5 ° 0 7 5

Clear Hills County

M.D. of Opportunity No. 17

M.D. of Pea!(ce No. 135 M.D. of Fairview No. 136 Saddle Hills Co!(unty

M.D. of Spirit River No. 133Birch Hills County M.D. of Smoky River No. 130

Lac La Biche County

County of No. 1 M.D. of Big LakesM.D. of Lesser Slave River No. 124 G!(rande!( Prairie !( !( !( I.D. No. 349 !(

Athab!(asca County M.D. of Greenview No. 16 !( Cold Lake N " M.D. of Bonnyv!(ille No. 87 0 ' !( N

!( " ° 0 !( 0 ' 4 !(!( 5 T!(horhild Co!(unty !(Cou!(nty of Barrhead!( No. 11 !( ° 0

County of St. Paul No. 19 4 5 !( Lac Ste. Anne County !( !( !( Lamont CountyC!(ou!(nty of Two Hills No. 21 I.D. No. 25 Willmore Wilderness !( !(S!(trathcona Coun!(ty !( !( !( !(!( !( St. AlbertI.D. No. 13 Elk Isl!(and !( !(!(Edmonto!(n Parkland!( County !( !( !(County of Minburn No!(. 27County!( of Verm!(ilion River !( Leduc !( !( Beaver County !( !( !(Leduc Cou!(nty !( Brazea!(u !(County !( !( !(of We!(ta!(s!(kiwin No!(. 10 !( Municipality of Jasper C!(amrose County M.D. of W!(ainwright No. 61 !( !( !( Ponoka Co!(unty I.D. No. 12 Jasper !( La!(comb!(e Cou!(nty !( !( M.D. of Provost No. 52 !( !(!( !( Clearwater County !( !(Red Deer C!(ounty of Stettler No. !(6County of Paintearth No. 18 !( R!(ed D!(eer C!(ounty !( !( !( Special Areas 4 !( !( Ü Mountain View !(CountyKneehill Count!(yStarla!(nd Cou!(nty I.D. No. 9 Banff !( N Special Areas 3

" !(

0 M.D. of Bighorn No. 8 ' !( Rocky View Cou!(nty Special Areas 2 N " ° 0 Ai!(rdrie 0 !( ' 1 !( !( !( M.D. of Acadia No. 34 5 Wheatland County ° 0 Calg!(ary !( 1 !( !( !( 5 Working Well Program: Kananaskis I.D. !( M.D. of Foot!(hills No. 31 Brooks Workshops Delivered !( September 2008 - December 2013 !( M.D. of Taber !( !( M.D. of Willow Creek No. 26 January-March 2014 M.D. of Ranchland No. 66 County of !( Leth!(bridge Municipality of C!(rowsnest Pass M.D. of Pinche!(r Creek No. 9 County of Forty Mile No. 8

km County of Warner No. 5 0 75 150 300 Cards!(ton County !( I.D. No. 4 Waterton

120°0'0"W 117°0'0"W 114°0'0"W 111°0'0"W 4