Environmental and Geotechnical Drilling

Environmental Drilling & Monitoring Well Installation

Understanding What’s Beneath the Surface

Environmental drilling provides valuable insight into the soil and groundwater conditions beneath a property. Whether investigating a potential environmental concern, supporting a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment, or monitoring groundwater conditions, reliable subsurface information is an essential part of making informed decisions.

At Terra Firma Environmental Services Ltd., our environmental drilling services support consultants, developers, engineers, contractors, and property owners throughout Ontario. We provide drilling, soil sampling, and monitoring well installation to help characterize subsurface conditions safely and efficiently.

Two Key Steps in Environmental Drilling

1. Soil Investigation & Borehole Drilling

The process typically begins by advancing boreholes into the subsurface. As drilling progresses, soil samples are collected at selected depths and the materials encountered are carefully documented.

Soil investigation can help identify:

Terra Firma uses drilling methods and equipment suited to the specific site conditions, access requirements, and investigation objectives.

2. Monitoring Well Installation & Groundwater Assessment

Where groundwater investigation is required, selected boreholes can be completed as monitoring wells. These wells provide access to groundwater so that environmental professionals can measure groundwater levels and collect samples for laboratory analysis.
A typical monitoring well installation involves:
Monitoring wells can be used to help understand groundwater conditions and assess the presence and movement of potential contaminants.
Terra Firma technician logging soil core samples at an environmental drilling site

From Drilling to Reliable Site Information

Soil sampling and groundwater monitoring work together to provide a more complete picture of subsurface conditions. The information obtained through environmental drilling can support environmental assessments, remediation programs, redevelopment projects, and ongoing site monitoring.

Why Choose Terra Firma?

Terra Firma Environmental Services Ltd. provides environmental drilling and monitoring well installation services for projects across Toronto, the GTA, and Southern Ontario.

Our team works with environmental consultants, engineers, developers, contractors, and property owners to provide dependable field services that support environmental investigations from the ground down.

Geotechnical Drilling Services

Field Services That Keep Your Geotechnical Projects Moving

Terra Firma Environmental Services Ltd. provides reliable geotechnical drilling and field services to support engineers, consultants, contractors, and developers throughout Ontario. With decades of drilling experience, our team works closely with project engineers to provide the subsurface information and field support needed to make informed design and construction decisions.

Our experienced crews and versatile drilling fleet allow us to work on a wide range of commercial, industrial, institutional, municipal, and residential projects—from straightforward site investigations to challenging sites with difficult access or subsurface conditions.

Our Geotechnical Services Include

Geotechnical Borehole Drilling

Drilling for subsurface investigations, foundation assessments, pavement studies, and site development.

Soil Sampling

Collection of representative soil samples for laboratory testing and geotechnical characterization.

Standard Penetration Testing (SPT)

In-situ testing to help determine soil density, strength, and subsurface conditions.

Rock Coring

Recovery of rock core samples to evaluate bedrock quality, strength, and geological conditions.

Monitoring Well & Instrumentation Installation

Installation of monitoring wells and geotechnical instrumentation as required for site investigations and long-term monitoring.

Concrete & Asphalt Coring

Coring of existing concrete and asphalt to assess pavement and structural conditions.

Instrumentation Decommissioning

Removal and decommissioning of monitoring wells and geotechnical instrumentation when investigations or monitoring programs are complete.

Working With Your Engineering Team

We understand that drilling is one component of a larger engineering investigation. Our crews coordinate directly with engineers and project managers to follow investigation plans, document field conditions, collect appropriate samples, and adapt to unexpected subsurface conditions when they arise.

Whether you require a few boreholes for a small development or a comprehensive drilling program for a major commercial, institutional, or municipal project, Terra Firma can provide the experienced field services needed to support your investigation from start to finish.

Have a geotechnical investigation coming up? Contact Terra Firma to discuss your drilling requirements and project schedule.