Education

Want to know more about groundwater? Below are some educational tools and websites to help you learn more about conserving groundwater. 

RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Groundwater is a crucial water source in Texas, supplying approximately 55 percent of the water utilized in the state, according to the 2020 TWDB Water Use Survey.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recognizes 9 major aquifers, which produce large quantities of water across extensive areas, and 22 minor aquifers, which either produce smaller quantities of water over large areas or large quantities over smaller areas.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Texas is home to 98 Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs). GCDs encompass nearly 70 percent of Texas.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
In Texas, there are 60 single-county Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) and 38 that span multiple counties.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Of the 98 confirmed Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) in Texas, 95 overlie a major aquifer, while only 65 are situated over a minor aquifer.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Approximately 72 percent of major and minor aquifers in Texas are covered by a Groundwater Conservation District (GCD).
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
GCDs are created either by the Texas Legislature subject to the authority, conditions, and restrictions of Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution, or by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through a local petition process.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
In 2006, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recommended the designation of the North-Central Texas – Trinity and Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area, which includes Tarrant County and surrounding counties.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
The Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (District) was created by the 80th Texas Legislature in 2007 with the enactment of House Bill 4028.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
On February 18, 2009, TCEQ designated North-Central Texas Trinity and Woodbine Aquifers a Priority Groundwater Management Area.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
On March 11, 2010, the District Board of Directors adopted the initial Temporary Rules for Water Wells in Tarrant County, Texas.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
On December 17, 2018, the District Board of Directors adopted Permanent Rules for Water Wells in Tarrant County, Texas.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Groundwater resources in Tarrant County include the Cretaceous-age northern Trinity and Woodbine aquifers
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recognizes the northern Trinity aquifer as a major aquifer and the Woodbine aquifer as a minor aquifer in Tarrant County, Texas.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
The northern Trinity aquifer is composed of several individual aquifers contained within the Trinity Group. In the District, the northern Trinity aquifer consists of the aquifers of the Paluxy and Twin Mountains formations separated by the predominantly confining Glen Rose Formation.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
The Paluxy aquifer is primarily composed of sand, silt, and clay, with fine-grained sand dominating. The Twin Mountains aquifer mainly consists of medium- to coarse-grained sand, silty clay, and conglomerates.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
In Tarrant County, sandstones in the Paluxy aquifer occur from surface level down to 1,000 feet, while in the Twin Mountains aquifer, they are found at depths ranging from 500 to 2,000 feet.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
The sandstones of the Paluxy aquifer and the lowermost sands of the Twin Mountains Formation form the District's most hydraulically conductive and transmissive units.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
In the northern Trinity aquifer, the Glen Rose Formation's limestones act as confining layers where they exist. They occasionally yield limited water in localized areas. In areas where the Glen Rose limestone is absent, such as the northwestern corner of Tarrant County, the entire Trinity Group is referred to locally as the Antlers aquifer.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Most of the District's groundwater production is used for Municipal/Public Water Supply (PWS) purposes.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) are created, empowered, and governed under Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code. GCDs are the State's preferred method of groundwater management.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) are authorized with powers and duties that enable them to manage groundwater resources. The three primary legislatively mandated duties of GCDs include: 1. Permitting non-exempt water wells; 2. Developing a comprehensive management plan; and 3. Adopting the necessary rules to implement the management plan.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) are political subdivisions of the State created to protect and balance private groundwater interests with the conservation, preservation, protection, recharging, and prevention of waste of groundwater.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
What is a Management Plan? A Management Plan outlines a GCD's goals and course of action to achieve those goals. The Management Plan is submitted to TWDB for approval, and each district adopts rules necessary to implement the management plan.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
What is a Desired Future Condition? The desired future condition is a metric established during the joint planning process by GCDs in a common Groundwater Management Area (GMA). The DFCs provide consistency in groundwater management in the GMA and a balance between groundwater protection and production.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
What is an Aquifer? An aquifer is an underground geological formation that stores and yields water in usable amounts. Aquifers in Texas can consist of sand, gravel, limestone, granite, and many other rock types with pores or spaces for water to pass through.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
What is an Aquitard? An aquitard, or confining layer, is a zone within the earth that restricts groundwater flow.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in groundwater refers to the total concentration of dissolved constituents found in a water sample. A TDS level of less than 1,000 ppm is considered freshwater.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
What is a Cone of Depression? A cone of depression is a conically shaped area of decreased water level (or pressure) that occurs when water is withdrawn from an aquifer. If wells are too close together, these cones may overlap and cause interference, resulting in abnormally low water levels in those wells.
RANDOM NTGCD FACT
All new and existing non-exempt wells in Tarrant County must be registered with the Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.

Outdoor Water Conservation

Rainwater Harvesting

Drought Monitor

Major Rivers

Recharge Enhancement

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see below for frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Well Owner

Q: Why do I need to register my water well?

Well registration provides the District with data needed to preserve and protect groundwater resources for current and future uses. All wells drilled after October 1, 2010, must be registered – those exempt from permitting as well as those subject to permitting. Exempt wells drilled prior to October 1, 2010, are encouraged to register at no cost so the District can protect that well with spacing regulations.

An exempt well is a well that is not a public water supply well and not capable of producing more than 17.36 gallons per minute or is used solely for domestic, livestock, poultry, or agricultural purposes. An exempt well is exempt from permitting and is not required to have a Grandfathered Use Permit or Operating Permit to withdraw water from an aquifer within the District. If you are unsure whether your well is exempt, please contact the District staff, we can assist.

A non-exempt well is a well capable of producing more than 17.36 gallons per minute, and must submit semi-annual water well production reports to the District at a rate of $0.155 per 1,000 gallons. 

The District has grandfathered use permits and production permits.

Grandfathered wells that were completed and operational prior to December 17, 2018 and that are not exempt from the District’s permitting requirements may complete this application for a Grandfathered Use Permit from the District if the following conditions are met: (1) The water well produced groundwater at any time from January 1, 2014 to December 17, 2018; and (2) the owner submits an application and accompanying documents to the District on or before December 31, 2023. 

All new wells that are not exempt from the District’s permitting requirements and all new or existing wells that were exempt from the District’s permitting requirements, but are substantially altered in a manner that causes the well to lose its exempt status must obtain an Operating Permit from the District.

An existing well application can be found on our Forms & Documents page for Existing Well Applications. There are no fees for registering an existing well. 

A new well application can be found here. There is a $500 well registration fee for new wells, as well as a $200 drillers’ deposit.  The owner and driller of a new well are jointly responsible for ensuring that a well registration required by this section is timely filed with the District.

If you recently purchased a property with a well, information can be obtained from your well driller or from the documentation from the sale of the property. Since 1966, licensed water well drillers have been required to submit well reports that include well location, depth, and construction; water level; local geology; names of driller and original owner. 

You can also find information from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (www.license.state.tx.us), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (www.tceq.state.tx.us) or the Texas Water Development Board (www.twdb.texas.gov).

In addition to well registration, well registration fee, and well report deposit requirements in Rules 3.2, 3.4 and 6.6, the owner of a well or well system not exempt from the permitting requirements under Rule 2.1 and that is completed and operational after December 17, 2018 must obtain an Operating Permit from the District prior to drilling, construction or operating of the nonexempt well or well system.

Non-exempt well owners are required to install meters on each non-exempt well and report the amount of groundwater pumped each month to the District on a well permit. A well permit can be applied for and filed with the District on forms designated by the District, which can be found here.

Wells subject to permitting are all public supply wells or are capable of producing more than 17.36 gpm with the proper spacing, individually, or as a system, and are used for any purpose other than domestic, livestock, poultry, or agricultural use.

A well application for exempt and non-exempt wells can be applied for and filed with the District on forms designated by the District, which can be found here.

District approval of a registration application may not automatically grant the registrant the authority to drill, complete, or operate a well under another governmental entity’s rules or regulations. The registrant should refer to the rules and regulations of other governmental entities with jurisdiction over the drilling and operation of water wells at the location specified on the District registration  application, including but not limited to, the county, the city, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and/or the TCEQ, where applicable, to determine whether there are any other requirements or prohibitions in addition to those of the District that apply to the drilling and operation of water wells.

It is recommended by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to test your water well each year.  It is recommended that you sample the well water and have it analyzed for fecal coliform, nitrates, and total dissolved solids (TDS) once annually or any time you notice a change in color, taste, or smell of the water or after pump or well maintenance.  Be sure to ask lab officials for instructions on sampling and shipping procedures as some analyses require specific protocol.

Testing should be performed by an accredited lab. Contact Tarrant County for more information on how to retrieve a water well test here. 

District rules require owners of non-exempt wells to report groundwater production no later than January 31st and July 31st for the previous 6-month periods each calendar year.

Drillers

Q: How long do I have to submit a well report?

A person who drilled, deepened, completed or otherwise altered a well shall, within 60 days after the date the well is completed, file a well report. 

For a well that is plugged, a driller, licensed pump installer, or well owner who plugs the well shall submit a plugging report to the District within 30 days. 

All water wells must comply with the following minimum spacing requirements:

  • <20 gpm                   200 ft
  • 20-39 gpm               600 ft
  • 40-59 gpm               1000 ft
  • 60-79 gpm               1400 ft
  • 80-99 gpm               1800 ft
  • 100 or more             2500 ft

All wells must be completed in accordance with the well completion standards set forth under the Texas Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers Administrative Rules, Title 16, Part 4, Chapter 76, Texas Administrative Code, and under these Rules, and must be completed in compliance with applicable rules and regulations of other political subdivisions.

General

Q: Who regulates groundwater in Texas?

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is the state agency charged with managing water resources for the future of Texas.  The Board “provides leadership, planning, financial assistance, information, and education for the conservation and responsible development of water for Texas”.  

Groundwater planning and management takes place on a smaller, local scale as well.  Under the provision of Chapter 36, Texas Water Code, groundwater conservation districts (GCD) have the authority to regulate the spacing of water wells, the production from water wells, or both.  A total of 174 counties are either fully or partially within a groundwater conservation district.

The Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District was created in 2007 by the 80th Texas Legislature in order to conserve, preserve, protect, and prevent waste of the groundwater resources of Tarrant County, Texas, and to promote recharge of the aquifers within Tarrant County.

The Northern Trinity GCD is located in Tarrant County, Texas. 

It covers 863.42 square miles above the Trinity and Woodbine aquifers. The District has four precincts, each with a corresponding board member.

The District is funded through fees that are authorized in its enabling legislation. 

Fees include: 

Water Well Registration Fee: $500
Well Report Deposit: $200 per well
Groundwater Use Fee: $0.155 per 1,000 gallons of water pumped
Groundwater Transport Fee: $0.2325 on groundwater transported outside of the District

Realtors

Q: Do water wells need to be disclosed?

Yes, House Bill 1221 requires sellers of residential real estate to disclose whether any part of a property is in a groundwater conservation district (GCD) or subsidence district. The law affects all transfers taking place January 1, 2016 or later. Therefore, if you have prior knowledge of a water well on your property, it needs to be disclosed.

However, while this law officially incorporates groundwater as an important component of real property,  the law expressly states that it does not apply “unless the seller has actual knowledge on the date of the notice that the real property is located” in a GCD and does not “create any duty for any person to investigate to determine if the residential real property is located” in a GCD.

If you or your client intend to drill a new water well or operate an existing water well on newly acquired land in Tarrant County, the proposed and/or existing well is subject to NTGCD’s rules.

There are a number of resources to get information about the location, testing and maintenance, or registration of a water well.

Since 1966, licensed water well drillers have been required to submit well reports that include well location, depth, and construction; water level; local geology; names of driller and original owner to the State of Texas.

Reports for wells drilled from 1966 until February 2001 can be accessed online at TCEQ Water Well Report Viewer

Well reports from February 2001 and later can be found in the Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System.

In some cases, your client may be able to contact the individual who constructed the well or may be able to find more information by searching the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) well reports. 

Prospective homeowners can obtain information about the well depth, pump capacity, and other information from the seller/current homeowner’s maintenance records or obtain well construction information (also known as a well log, a water well record, or a drilling report) from state records. 

Reports for wells drilled from 1966 until February 2001 can be accessed online at TCEQ Water Well Report Viewer

Well reports from February 2001 and later can be found in the Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System.

In some cases, your client may be able to contact the individual who constructed the well or may be able to find more information by searching the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) well reports. 

 

All real property in Tarrant County falls under the jurisdiction of the Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (NTGCD). NTGCD is a political subdivision of the State of Texas with responsibility to preserve, conserve and protect the groundwater resources of Tarrant County. Its statutory authority is defined in Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code.

If you or your client intend to drill a new water well or operate an existing water well on newly acquired land in Tarrant County, the proposed and/or existing well is subject to NTGCD’s rules.

In the case of change of ownership of real property that utilizes a registered well, the new property owner has 90 days to complete an Application for Transfer of Well Qwnership and submit to the District. There is no charge to transfer well ownership.

Note: Domestic wells existing before October 1, 2010 are voluntarily registered, therefore not all domestic wells are registered with the District. Any well drilled after October 1, 2010 is registered with the District.

NTGCD does not assess taxes but is instead funded by a groundwater production fee for water produced from all non-exempt wells existing within Tarrant County. Wells used solely for domestic use (individual household wells) are not required to permit, meter, report or pay fees on the groundwater produced from the well.

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OUTDOOR WATER CONSERVATION
10 ways to curb water use outside:

  1. Adjust your sprinklers so that they’re watering your lawn and garden, and not the street or sidewalk. 
  2. Water early in the morning (before 10:00) or later in the evening (after 6:00) when temperatures are cooler and evaporation is minimized.
  3. Set it, but don’t forget it! Whether you have a manual or automatic system, be sure to adjust your watering schedules throughout the irrigation season. 
  4. Consider installing a rain barrel. Rainwater harvesting allows you to collect water while it’s raining to save for later, and reduces the amount you use from your water system.
  5. Inspect your irrigation system for leaks, broken lines, or blockage in the lines. A well-maintained system will save you money, water, and time. 
  6. Consider replacing some turf area with low water use plants and ornamental grasses. They are easier to maintain than turf, look beautiful, and require far less water.
  7. Group plants with like watering needs. Creating “watering zones” in your garden will allow you to give each plant the water it requires — not too much or too little.
  8. Add a shut-off nozzle to your garden hose and save about 5-7 gallons each minute your hose is on.
  9. Adjust your mower to a higher setting. A taller lawn provides shade to the roots and helps retain soil moisture, so your lawn requires less water.
  10. Apply the amount of water your soil can absorb. Water thoroughly, but infrequently. If run off or puddling occurs, break longer watering sessions into several short sessions allowing water to soak into the soil between each session.

INDOOR WATER CONSERVATION
10 ways to help start saving water indoors:

  1. Replace an older toilet with a WaterSense-labeled high efficiency toilet. Older toilets can use up to 4 times more water per flush. Plus, many water providers offer rebates to help you save money when you upgrade.
  2. Regularly check for & repair water leaks.  Even small leaks can waste hundreds to thousands of gallons of water a month.  Many water leaks can be fixed by a do-it-yourself plumber, and repair parts are relatively inexpensive to purchase ($5-20).
  3. Take shorter showers. Each minute you shave off your shower time saves up to 2.5 gallons of water.
  4. Install an aerator on your bathroom or kitchen faucet and save about 1 gallon per minute. An aerator reduces the flow from the faucet, and uses air to maintain good water pressure.
  5. Select an Energy Star-approved clothes washer next time you purchase a new washer. They use 15-20 less gallons of water per load, and you will see savings on your energy costs too.
  6. Install a high efficiency showerhead, and you could save an about 1 gallon of water per minute. 
  7. Know where your master shutoff valve is located. This could save water and prevent damage to your home.
  8. Wash only full loads. Dishwashers use about the same amount of energy and water regardless of the number of dishes inside, so run full loads whenever possible.
  9. Turn the sink faucet on only to rinse or use a large container filled with rinse water when washing dishes by hand.  You will save about 2.5 gallons of water for every minute your faucet does not run.
  10. Scrape instead of pre-rinsing. Save yourself up to 20 gallons of water by scraping food off your dishes instead of pre-rinsing them. Energy Star qualified dishwashers and today’s detergents are designed to do the cleaning so you don’t have to. If your dirty dishes sit overnight, use your dishwasher’s rinse feature. It uses a fraction of the water needed to hand rinse.

RAINWATER HARVESTING

More info

DROUGHT MONITOR

More Info

MAJOR RIVERS
Order major rivers for your classroom

Major Rivers Educational Program (TWDB)

More Info

RECHARGE ENHANCEMENT

Recharge enhancement is an important tool to help encourage recharge of our groundwater. Urban development decreases direct recharge from precipitation but introduces new sources of water which, in most instances, can increase groundwater recharge if applied properly.

More Info