The Antigonish Regional Emergency Management Organization is reviewing information from residents to understand how a record-breaking drought in 2025 impacted private wells throughout Antigonish, Nova Scotia. This effort aims to help local officials improve how they support the community during future dry spells.
The survey, which ran from December 1, 2025, to December 22, 2025, asked households to share their experiences with water shortages or wells that completely dried out. Most people living outside the town area rely on private wells for their daily water needs rather than a shared municipal system.
Last year, the region faced one of the most severe droughts on record, leading to extreme conditions across the local area. In response, the municipality began providing emergency drinking water to residents in August 2025 to ensure families had enough to drink and use at home.
Regional emergency management coordinator Blaise MacDonald stated that the goal of the study is to identify lessons learned from the water crisis. Officials plan to use the feedback to create better outreach programs and emergency response plans for the upcoming summer season and future years.
By moving from emergency reaction to long-term planning, the municipality hopes to better prepare rural households for recurring weather challenges. The data will also help the local public works department understand where well problems were most common during the dry period.
