More farmers on Prince Edward Island will be able to use groundwater to irrigate their crops this season, though provincial officials say last summer’s drought isn’t likely to happen again. 

Becky Townshend, a potato farmer in Rollo Bay West, has about 1.5 kilometres of irrigation pipes to get into the ground at her farm for the spring. 

She received provincial approval for one high-capacity well that will allow her operation to tap into groundwater to irrigate about 28 of the farm’s 90 hectares this season. 

“The last two seasons … have really shown how vulnerable we are to dry conditions and drought,” Townshend said.

“We need to look at supplementary irrigation so we can stay sustainable and resilient through those dry conditions.”

After a dry summer in 2025, the provincial government has seen an increase in applications for irrigation wells as farmers look to ensure their crops get the water they need for a strong season.

Officials with P.E.I.’s Department of Land and Environment said they received just over 140 applications for groundwater exploration permits for this year, up from an average of 20 to 30 most years.  

For farmers applying to drill a high-capacity well, the province has rules in place to protect the Island’s water resource. 

The first step is obtaining a groundwater exploration permit, which costs $50 and involves a test well to be drilled to determine if the desired volume and quality of water is available and environmentally acceptable. 

The second step in the process requires applying for a water withdrawal permit, which is necessary for large water users needing more than 25 cubic metres a day.

There were about 60 high-capacity wells in use for agriculture in the province before last summer’s drought.

‘Our water usage is sustainable’

Qing Li, a provincial hydrogeologist, said the number of permits approved is also subject to strict conditions set out in P.E.I.’s Water Act — so even if every high-capacity well in the province is in use in a given year, they won’t come close to using the Island’s entire groundwater supply. 

“[For] every permit, we need careful assessment to protect our water resources, making sure everyone issued a permit fits our criteria and protects our drinking water,” Li said. 

He said groundwater levels have recovered after last year’s drought thanks to a lot of snow over the winter months. 

Despite 2025’s dry summer, Li said a drought of that proportion is a one-in-20-year event. 

“We’re every year recovering because the water taken by human beings is only a small amount,” he said. “Our water usage is sustainable.” 

Some farmers like Townshend, however, still don’t want to take a risk with their crops. 

She said her overall yield was down about 25 per cent last year, while the cost of running the farm has gone up. 

If all goes well by the spring, Townshend will have assurance that she’ll be able to irrigate a portion of her crop this year — if she needs to. 

“Having some supplementary irrigation, even though it’s only going to be on 10 per cent of our crop, I think will … help us sleep at night and keep us sustainable on this farm,” she said. 

“We’re not chasing record yields, we’re just trying to reduce some of the risk.”