Usually you need a registration, not a permit. In western Hays County, every new well must be registered with the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, and a well that serves a home is typically classified as exempt from the district’s operating permit. Other parts of Hays County fall under a different district, so start by confirming which one covers your parcel.
Key takeaways
- The Hays Trinity district requires every new well, exempt or non-exempt, to be registered.
- Wells used for domestic, residential, or agricultural purposes are usually exempt from an operating permit. Wells for commercial or public water supply use are not.
- Outside a groundwater conservation district, Texas does not require a private well owner to register the well.
- Site the well together with the septic system, driveway, and house, because both the district and TCEQ set minimum separation distances.
Which groundwater district covers your lot?
Start with the parcel, not the mailing address. The Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District covers the Trinity Aquifer across the western portion of Hays County, including the Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Wimberley areas. The district notes that eastern Hays County falls under a different district’s authority.
For land in Travis, Blanco, Comal, Burnet, or Gillespie County, check the Texas Water Development Board’s lists and map of groundwater conservation districts, then ask the district to confirm the boundary for your exact tract. Our local guides for Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Wimberley cover the other questions that come with those addresses.
Does a household well need a permit or just registration?
Texas law lets groundwater conservation districts regulate production through permits for non-exempt wells, well spacing requirements, and other rules, according to the Texas Water Development Board. The same source notes that private well owners do not need to register a well unless the property falls within a groundwater conservation district.
Inside the Hays Trinity district, the district states that all new wells, exempt and non-exempt, must be registered. Most wells registered there are classified as exempt because the water is used for domestic, residential, or agricultural purposes. Wells for commercial, public water supply, or retail water supply use are classified as non-exempt and need an operating permit.
Exempt does not mean unregulated. The district publishes the forms that need to be completed before drilling, and its rules and drought conditions can change. Confirm the current classification and paperwork with the district before signing a drilling contract.
Where should the well go on the site plan?
The district’s registration notice lists minimum distances between a new well and septic tanks, septic drain fields, potential contamination, and property lines. TCEQ’s on-site sewage rules add their own minimum separations between private wells and septic components in Table X of its OSSF rules. Together, those requirements can decide where the house, driveway, and septic system fit.
Place the well on the same drawing as the house, the septic design area, the driveway, and any future barn, shop, or casita. A well drilled before the site plan settles can take the ground the septic designer needs or push the driveway onto a longer route. The septic, well, and utilities guide explains how these systems compete for usable ground on acreage.
Plan access as well. The drilling rig needs a route to the well site, and the water line and electrical service to the pump need a path that stays out of the septic area.
Who drills the well, and what records should you keep?
Water well drillers and pump installers in Texas are licensed through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The Texas Water Development Board notes that registered drillers, and landowners who drill their own wells, must submit a State of Texas Water Well Report for each new well. Ask for a copy, and keep it with the district registration and any water quality test results.
How does a well affect the budget and schedule?
Depth, yield, and water quality are not known until drilling and testing are complete, so treat the well as a planning allowance rather than a fixed number. Include the pump, pressure tank, any treatment that testing calls for, the trench and line to the house, and electrical service to the pump. The Central Texas cost guide shows how site and utility work fit into an overall project number.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register a well that only serves my house?
Inside the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, yes. The district requires every new well to be registered, including exempt household wells. Outside a groundwater conservation district, Texas does not require private well registration.
Does a household well need an operating permit in western Hays County?
Typically not. The district classifies wells used for domestic, residential, or agricultural purposes as exempt from its operating permit. Wells for commercial or public water supply use need one.
Can the well be drilled before the septic system is designed?
It can, but that order limits your options. Wells and septic components have required separation distances, so a well placed first may take the ground the septic designer needs. Siting both on one plan avoids the conflict.
How do I find out which groundwater district covers my land?
The Texas Water Development Board publishes lists and a map of groundwater conservation districts. The district itself can confirm whether a specific parcel is inside its boundary.
A well is one piece of a whole-property plan. Use Build Studio to organize your project and site details, or contact Ridge Rock Builders to talk through the well, septic, and house layout for your land.