Well Owners

• 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.

• What is the difference between an exempt and non-exempt well?

  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.

• How do I register my water well?

  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.

• I recently purchased a property with a well, what next?

  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).

• What is a well permit?

  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.

• What is a well application?

  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.

• Should I test the water quality in my water well? If so, where can I test my water quality?

  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. 

• I have a non-exempt well. How often do I need to report its usage?

  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.