Growing reports of dry wells in region are raising concerns about how New Brunswick tracks – and responds to – worsening drought conditions.
Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton says residents have recently begun contacting her office, alarmed about the low levels of their well water and how they will manage throughout the winter months.
Residents reporting lost water access
“They ran out of water. Their wells… ran dry… and it became a really big issue,” said Mitton. “Everyone needs water to live. It’s a public health emergency if someone doesn’t have water.”
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Calls rising through November
Mitton said calls to her office started early in November, though many residents may have run out earlier and tried to manage on their own.
“I’ve been hearing some people in Dorchester ran out of water, some people in Strait Shores have run out of water,” she said.
Ongoing issues in Memramcook
Mitton noted that Memramcook experienced similar problems in 2020 and into 2021 – where she previously served as MLA before boundary changes under the Higgs Government – when many shallow wells failed during a prolonged dry period. According to Mitton, “maybe even 200 wells” had run dry there.
She said new reports of well failures in 2024 and 2025 show the problem is ongoing, and the region is becoming more vulnerable as drought conditions intensify.
Limited provincial tracking
“There’s a big gap in the data. We don’t really know how many wells have run dry,” Mitton said. “But we know it’s a big problem and becoming more common.”
Provincial water strategy
Mitton said New Brunswick has had a 2018-2028 water strategy that includes commitments to improve private well monitoring and drought preparedness, but she believes progress has been slow.
“As of 2024, they had just started that,” she said. “There is a role for the provincial government to play … they need to step up and take this very seriously.”
CHMA requested comment from the Department of Environment and Local Government and did not receive a response by publication time. We’re committed to updating this article with any response when received.
Help for residents
“I invite anyone who has had their well run dry to let me know,” said Mitton. “We are figuring out ways to find a place for someone to shower, how to get water for free.”
Industrial water use and the proposed gas plant
Mitton said industrial water demand is a growing concern as drought conditions worsen, especially with major projects being proposed in the region. One of the largest is the natural gas plant proposed by PROENERGY Canada in the Midgic and Centre Village area, near the NB–NS border – a development that has drawn significant public attention and opposition over potential water use, emissions, and environmental impact.
The project, led by PROENERGY Canada, aims to build a 500‑megawatt gas‑fired generating station, and would require substantial volumes of water for cooling and operations. Critics, including local residents, climate groups, and several municipal councillors, have questioned how an already-stressed water table could support such a facility during back‑to‑back drought years.
Mitton linked the dry‑well reports to these concerns.
“It can exacerbate the problem with these industrial uses of water,” she said, noting that fracked‑gas operations and data‑centre cooling raise similar risks.
Long‑term adaptation needed
“We need to be really planning for further down the road,” Mitton said. “This is part of adapting to climate change … we need provincial leadership.”
