The regulation and act set out minimum requirements for siting (choosing a location), constructing, maintaining, and abandoning (shutting down) wells. They also set out licensing requirements for well contractors and technicians.

The manual has been carefully designed to be user friendly. Each chapter follows the same format, providing a plain language version of the Regulation, its key concepts and technical advice on implementation. Most chapters provide advice on best management practices that exceed the regulation’s requirements to protect groundwater resources. The manual does not supersede the Regulation – if there are discrepancies between the manual and the Regulation, the Wells Regulation takes precedence.