Rural Living

Proper care and maintenance for your home's well and septic will help improve the longevity and delivery of these services.

Find more information on Caring For Your Well and Caring For Your Septic through our website. 

DYK - It is the homeowners responsibility to test their drinking water to make sure it is safe for consumption. 

• You can learn more about groundwater and testing well water through the Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health page on Well Water.
• If a chemical or contamination problem is suspected, you can run tests through a licensed private lab, for a fee. 
• What should you do if your well is running low due to drought? Learn more about water conservation through this Low Water Resource for Homeowners with Private Wells.
• How can you use your water safely during a "Boil Water Advisory"? A boil water advisory is issued when there is a concern for the safety of individuals who rely on groundwater for drinking. Learn more about how to safely use your water during a "Boil Water Advisory".

Water Hauling 

If you typically experience drought, you may want to consider purchasing a water storage unit, like a cistern, and consider water hauling services to relief the demand on your well. 

Cost-sharing programs:

• Landowner Incentives - Visit our Bay of Quinte Remedial Action page to learn about landowner cost-sharing incentives for livestock fencing, erosion and water quality improvement projects, planting opportunities and more. 
• Tree Seedling Program - Planning to restore an area of your property back to forest with the planting of at least 500 trees? You may be eligible for a subsidized tree-planting program. 
• Shoreline Planting Program - If your residential or agricultural property is on waterfront, you may be eligible for a subsidized shoreline-planting program or shoreline planting kit. 

Pests and Invasive Species: 

• Preventing conflicts with Beavers - Learn what to do if beavers are causing damage to your property.
• Invasive species control - Learn about invasive Terrestrial & Aquatic Plants, Fish, Invertebrates, Forest Pests & Pathogens, and Wildlife and what you can do to help prevent the spread.
• Coping with Canada Geese - A brochure on what you can do to reduce activity.
• LDD Moth - Learn more about this species and control measures. You can also find more information from this  LDD Moth Factsheet.

Additional Resources: 

• Solutions for shoreline erosion - A basic guide to bioengineering. Learn about shoreline erosion and the methods you can take to help prevent it on your property. 
• Healthy Waterfronts - A shoreline property owners guide. Use this guide to learn more about the ecology the land and best stewardship practices you can take to help protect and preserve your property.
• Lake Protection Workbook - A self assessment tool for shoreline property owners. Use this workbook to self-assess whether activities and uses on your property are protecting your lake.
• Boat Wakes - A brochure on boaters etiquette. Learn more about recommended speeds and other ways your boating activities can impact shorelines, wildlife, and other lake users. 

 Learn more about Climate Change and the simple things you can do at home to conserve water on our Climate Change page. 

Quinte Conservation monitors water levels, rainfall, and snow melt to assess flood and drought conditions.

Did you know you can find in-real-time data on our Water Levels page? Learn more about Lake Ontario Levels, River Flows, or to launch the Water Levels GIS Viewer.