The rolling hills, woodlots and meadows off Trussler Road in Kitchener and the Wilmot Line in Waterloo hide a vital natural feature that supplies water to Kitchener, Waterloo, parts of Cambridge, St. Agatha, St. Jacobs, Elmira and Conestogo.
This feature is known as the Waterloo Moraine, which has been tapped into by wells and pumps for over a century.
Suburban development reached the Wilmot line in Waterloo, covering parts of the moraine-this decision stirred controversy when it was made over 20 years ago. Environmentalists cautioned that this could diminish the rainwater and snowmelt needed to replenish underground water supplies.
In Kitchener, plans for new suburbs on other sections of the moraine were previously halted until Premier Doug Ford’s provincial government opened up hundreds of hectares for housing in the city’s southwest. Again, environmentalists along with regional staff voiced concerns about potential harm to essential recharge areas for aquifers.
The ongoing water crisis and expansion efforts in southwest Kitchener have reignited calls for safeguarding the moraine through what is termed “A Blue Belt”-a zone free from development on or around it.
This crisis started at a water source known as AFB2-the largest and most crucial aquifer beneath the Waterloo Moraine.
During summer 2025, a well on the moraine was shut down for regular maintenance when engineers discovered that AFB2’s water level was low. Following this finding, regional authorities announced a temporary halt on developments across Kitchener, Waterloo, Breslau, Elmira, St. Jacobs, Conestogo, St. Agatha, northern Cambridge and some smaller communities in Wilmot and Woolwich townships.
The declining water level in AFB2 is alarming because this area depends on aquifers for 80 percent of its water supply. The drop in AFB2 also contributed to an overall reduction in available capacity within the region’s water system.
“We need to get a better understanding of what its limitations are,” said David Rudolph, a groundwater scientist from the University of Waterloo who has studied the Waterloo Moraine since 1983.
“If there was ever a time we want to be more careful with it, learn more about it, ensure we understand it, it’s now,” said Rudolph.
Initially, authorities did not disclose how low AFB2’s water level had fallen; however Rudolph states it’s considered one of Waterloo Region’s most strategic natural resources.
The moraine stretches westward for several kilometers toward Baden and beyond.
The aquifers and recharge zones forming part of this moraine serve as foundations for one of the world’s most complex municipal water systems since this area relies heavily on groundwater. Approximately 20 percent of regional water comes from the Grand River-unlike many cities across southern Ontario such as Toronto or Hamilton that draw their supply from Great Lakes sources. The Region of Waterloo operates 40 treatment facilities along with 11 pumping stations and over 100 wells paired with 13 wastewater treatment plants.
For three years straight now the region has been extracting groundwater from the moraine at unsustainable rates.
“We are actually seeing this demonstrated locally around our existing supply wells,” said Geoff Moroz who manages hydrogeology and related programs within the region. “Right now we see pronounced declines particularly around Mannheim well field areas.”
Moraine recharge map from Region of Waterloo official plan.
Region of Waterloo
The region finds itself at a point where continued extraction can’t last much longer according to Moroz. Water levels are dropping so significantly that they may soon begin losing some supply wells-especially at ASR Well Field location.
ASR stands for aquifer storage and retrieval system. Years back officials began diverting treated Grand River water into these underground aquifers under guidance from Mannheim Water Treatment Plant-a strategy aimed at providing ample reserves during peak summer demand periods.
However right now Mannheim plant is only functioning at about 60 percent capacity while ASR isn’t operational thus leading them to extract more directly from those aquifers instead.</
,/countdown> This leads Moroz to indicate significant drops happening within both Mannheim & ASR sectors may force shutdowns soon enough if nearby private wells run dry due less extraction limits being maintained properly.”In2005Waterloo Regionlaunchedtheaquiferstorageandrecovery systemintendedto addfive millionlitresadayto AFB2. The Regionof Waterloo pioneered Aquifer Storageand Recovery principlesafterimplementationhere leadtotheirusein drought-stricken Californiaand Lima Peru. Ideally, thisentailscapturingfloodwatersduring springanddirectingthemintotheaquifersforfutureuse. Thecurrentdevelopmentfreezealongwithrenewedattentionitbrings presentsopportunitiesforupgradingexistinginfrastructureandexpandingwelllocationswhilealsoassessingaquifercapacities effectively. Unfortunately, the Mannheimplantfellinto disrepair. Additionally, in2021, itwasfoundthatwater sourcedfrom Middleton Treatment Plantcannotbemixedwith Mannheim Plant watersdue todifferentsanitizationmethods, resultingina foul-smellingmix. Thelowwaterlevelin AFB2couldbeattributedto heighteneddemand, develomentnearoronthemoirainthe reducedrainfallandsnowmeltinputclimatechangeorevenmoreextractionduetothefailureofthe ASRsystem.“Ultimatelythereisamaximumlimit”said Rudolph.“Youfinallyreachapointwhere demandoutstripsnaturalreplenishment.” Currenteffortsarebeingmadeto ascertaincapacityifmanagedcorrectlythefuturelooksbrightforthegroundwatersupply says Rudolph.” The Waterloo Morainehasbeenprovidingdrinking watersince late1800s. AFB2alongwithotheraquifersisfoundindifferentlocationsat varyingdepths. Someconnections existamongtheseaquifersbut AFB2remainslargestandmostimportant. Apartfromsomedeepundergroundsourcesothersareclosertothesurface receiving inputsfrom pondscreeksandswamps. “Allofthesearesourcedbyus”noted Rudolph.”Wecannottapthose deepestbedrocksourcesas sulphurmanganese contaminationwouldrenderitunsafehowever Cambridge&Guelphbothdrawfromthatcleaner bedrockbasedsystem.” Mostwellsserving Kitchener&Waterlooresidentsare locatedonthemorainewhilesimilarfacilitiesin Cambridge Guelph primarilytapinto bedrocktypesourcesinstead. AFB2 lies relativelyclose below surfacepartsofitsstructureare rechargedthroughpondsandcreeks; at itswidestspanabout50metersdeep extendingnorthwestwards Waterlootowestsouthwestboundtowards Wilmot Township. Surfacepondsandcreeksresponddynamicallywith fluctuations occurringwithin levels surrounding AFB”says Rudolph.”Whatcausestheselowerlevels? Whatareimpactslongterm, andhowdowebuildresilience intosystem?”byresiliencyheseesnewwell additionscomingonboard. Findingviablenewwell spotsrequirespatience thoughobtaining province approvalsposes challenges. “Thatprocess can be slow”stated Rudolph.” Currently imposedfreezesapplyonlyto locationsdrawingfrom Mannheim plant.” No freeze existsforareas relyingupon Middleton facilitylocatedwithin Cambridge.”
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,/countdown> This leads Moroz to indicate significant drops happening within both Mannheim & ASR sectors may force shutdowns soon enough if nearby private wells run dry due less extraction limits being maintained properly.”In2005Waterloo Regionlaunchedtheaquiferstorageandrecovery systemintendedto addfive millionlitresadayto AFB2. The Regionof Waterloo pioneered Aquifer Storageand Recovery principlesafterimplementationhere leadtotheirusein drought-stricken Californiaand Lima Peru. Ideally, thisentailscapturingfloodwatersduring springanddirectingthemintotheaquifersforfutureuse. Thecurrentdevelopmentfreezealongwithrenewedattentionitbrings presentsopportunitiesforupgradingexistinginfrastructureandexpandingwelllocationswhilealsoassessingaquifercapacities effectively. Unfortunately, the Mannheimplantfellinto disrepair. Additionally, in2021, itwasfoundthatwater sourcedfrom Middleton Treatment Plantcannotbemixedwith Mannheim Plant watersdue todifferentsanitizationmethods, resultingina foul-smellingmix. Thelowwaterlevelin AFB2couldbeattributedto heighteneddemand, develomentnearoronthemoirainthe reducedrainfallandsnowmeltinputclimatechangeorevenmoreextractionduetothefailureofthe ASRsystem.“Ultimatelythereisamaximumlimit”said Rudolph.“Youfinallyreachapointwhere demandoutstripsnaturalreplenishment.” Currenteffortsarebeingmadeto ascertaincapacityifmanagedcorrectlythefuturelooksbrightforthegroundwatersupply says Rudolph.” The Waterloo Morainehasbeenprovidingdrinking watersince late1800s. AFB2alongwithotheraquifersisfoundindifferentlocationsat varyingdepths. Someconnections existamongtheseaquifersbut AFB2remainslargestandmostimportant. Apartfromsomedeepundergroundsourcesothersareclosertothesurface receiving inputsfrom pondscreeksandswamps. “Allofthesearesourcedbyus”noted Rudolph.”Wecannottapthose deepestbedrocksourcesas sulphurmanganese contaminationwouldrenderitunsafehowever Cambridge&Guelphbothdrawfromthatcleaner bedrockbasedsystem.” Mostwellsserving Kitchener&Waterlooresidentsare locatedonthemorainewhilesimilarfacilitiesin Cambridge Guelph primarilytapinto bedrocktypesourcesinstead. AFB2 lies relativelyclose below surfacepartsofitsstructureare rechargedthroughpondsandcreeks; at itswidestspanabout50metersdeep extendingnorthwestwards Waterlootowestsouthwestboundtowards Wilmot Township. Surfacepondsandcreeksresponddynamicallywith fluctuations occurringwithin levels surrounding AFB”says Rudolph.”Whatcausestheselowerlevels? Whatareimpactslongterm, andhowdowebuildresilience intosystem?”byresiliencyheseesnewwell additionscomingonboard. Findingviablenewwell spotsrequirespatience thoughobtaining province approvalsposes challenges. “Thatprocess can be slow”stated Rudolph.” Currently imposedfreezesapplyonlyto locationsdrawingfrom Mannheim plant.” No freeze existsforareas relyingupon Middleton facilitylocatedwithin Cambridge.”
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