Water Wells in Texas: Everything You Need to Know

Curious about Water Wells in Texas? You’ve come to the right place! In this article we cover where to start if you’re looking at drilling one, maintaining a well, or wanting to know about their regulations!

Water in Texas

There are 15 major river systems in Texas.  Only three – Canadian, Rio Grande, and Pecos – do not originate within the state.  In addition, there are 3,700 named streams.  Despite abundant surface waters, more than half of the water consumed by Texans is groundwater (George et al, 2011). 

Major and minor aquifers overlap in many areas of the state, while places in far west Texas and north central Texas have relatively little available groundwater.  A map of the 9 major and 21 minor aquifers along with descriptions of each can be found in George et al. (2011). 

State Agency that Regulates Water Resources 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”.  

The state water plan is updated every 5 years and is comprised of plans submitted by each of the 16 multi-county regional water planning groups to the TWDB.  The planning groups are comprised of about 20 members representing agriculture, industry, environment, public, municipalities, business, water districts, river authorities, water utilities, counties, groundwater management areas, and power generation interests throughout the respective regions.

The planning meetings are open to the public and scheduled meetings are posted at on the Texas Water Development Board Website.

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 (see map of GCDs HERE)  

All confirmed groundwater conservation districts in Texas are required to develop and implement a management plan for the effective management of their groundwater resources.  These plans must be approved by the TWDB. 

As a Texas landowner, you have individual rights and responsibilities for groundwater management and as such should have a general understanding of private water wells and conditions that may affect local water quality and quantity. 

Water Well Basics – How a Water Well Works

A borehole is drilled into the earth to the depth of saturated zone or aquifer.  Water seeps into the borehole and rises to the level of water in the aquifer, unless it is a confined aquifer. 

A confined aquifer is under pressure and when a borehole is drilled into the aquifer, water in the borehole will rise to some elevation above the aquifer; this is known as an artesian well.  If water rises to the surface it is considered a flowing artesian well. 

Casing, large diameter pipe with perforations, is placed in the borehole.  Then drop pipe is installed inside the casing.  A pump is attached to the bottom joint of drop pipe and placed below the static water level. 

The pump takes water into the pipe until it is full; when the pipe is full the water comes to the surface and flows into a pressure tank, storage tank, or pipeline to the end use. 

Other methods of bringing water to the surface include engine powered pumpjacks, windmills, wind and solar powered electric pumps.

How to find out more about existing Water Wells

If you have recently purchased land with an existing water well, you may find driller reports for the well in one of two online databases.  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. 

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.

How to select a location for a new Water Well    

Drilling reports may also be useful if you are considering drilling a new well.  The reports will provide some indication as to the depth, and cost, and perhaps the quality and quantity of water you can expect from a new well.  If you are drilling a new well, contact the Groundwater Conservation District about permitting and registration.  When siting a new well, keep these spacing and setback guidelines in mind:

• 50 feet from septic tank, cesspool, property boundary or non-potable water well.  Groundwater conservation districts may require greater setback distances from property boundaries.
• 100 feet from septic drain field or leach field
• 150 feet from shelter or yard for livestock or pets; feed storage or pesticide and fertilizer storages
• 250 feet from manure stack or liquid waste disposal system

Whether you have an existing well or are planning a new water system, a storage tank is a wise investment.  When your well needs maintenance or repair it may be hours or days before the work is completed and a storage tank will provide you with an interim water supply.    

Water Well Maintenance & Protection

If the productivity of your water well has declined, it may be cleaned or rehabilitated.  A licensed pump installer can pull the drop pipe out of your well and use a downhole camera to assess the condition of the casing, including well perforations.  Chemical and mechanical methods can be used to remove scale from the perforations and improve water flow into the well.

If there is a valve between the pump and the pressure tank or other storage tank, that valve should always be open.  The water must have some place to go.  Otherwise, the pump will build pressure and may damage the impellers or split the drop pipe.   

Winterizing Your Water Well

Plumbing located above the wellhead should be winterized to protect against freezing.  As you draw down the water in your pressure tank, the pump will automatically turn on.  The water in the ground is not frozen and the pump will turn on, but if the pipes at the wellhead are frozen then the water has no place to go.  This will ‘deadhead’ the pump and may damage the impellers, burn up the pump motor, or split the drop pipe.  The pressure tank should be insulated and ideally contained within a building where it can be kept from freezing.

Windmill Maintenance for Water Wells

Windmills are designed to shut down automatically when the wind is too strong.  During freezing conditions it is safest to shut the windmill off manually by engaging the brake.  The oil in the windmill motor should be changed each year. 

If the windmill is making a very loud noise then shut it down to avoid further damage and call a licensed pump installer.  Contact the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation to locate a licensed driller or pump installer in your area. 

Testing Water from a Water Well

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. 

Using Chlorine to Treat Water Wells

Use caution when treating a well with chlorine bleach to remove odor or suspected bacterial contamination.  Addition of chlorine bleach may only temporarily address the problem and its effectiveness can be compromised depending on the product used and the pH of the water (Strawn, 2012). 

The best chlorine products for treating water wells are those specifically manufactured for that purpose.  They are more concentrated and can be purchased from a water well supply.  Household bleach is less concentrated and may have lost some of its original potency by the time you use it.  Swimming pool chlorine products may contain fungicides and other chemicals that are not suitable for drinking water. 

High pH, or alkaline, water also reduces the antibacterial effectiveness of chlorine.   Often a two-step approach is best for reducing bacteria.  First, slime, organic matter, and other debris is brushed from the casing and pumped out of the well.  This removes the food source for future bacterial growth and exposes the bacteria.  Next chlorine is added to the well followed by a slug of water that forces the chlorine into the aquifer formation. 

Slope Away From Water Well

Your water well is a channel of communication between the aquifer and the terrestrial environment and as such is vulnerable to contamination.  The soil should slope away from the wellhead to prevent rainfall and storm runoff from entering the well.  A well seal can be installed to ensure no contaminants enter the borehole. 

Special Concerns: Oil & Gas Exploration

Drilling and pumping on adjacent lands may also affect your water well.  In 2013 drilling permits for oil and gas wells were filed in every RRC region.  No part of the state has been left untouched by the pursuit of these energy resources.  Hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ has garnered a lot of attention not only due to the large volume of water required for the process but also the potential for groundwater contamination. 

Disposal wells also are a potential source of groundwater contamination.  It is important to be aware of drilling and pumping activity in your area and to maintain good water well records in case you suspect negative impacts. 

Permits are not required for rig wells, water wells drilled to supply water for oil and gas exploration, unless the well is drilled below the base of usable water quality (aquifer).  Permits for rig wells drilled to depths below the base of usable water are issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), not the local GCD.  

However, “a rig supply water well must be registered in accordance with GCD rules and must be equipped and maintained to conform to the GCD’s rules requiring installation of casing, pipe, and fittings to prevent the escape of ground water from a groundwater reservoir to any reservoir not containing ground water and to prevent the pollution or harmful alteration of the character of the water in any groundwater reservoir. ”

The driller of a rig supply well must file the drilling log with the GCD.  In addition, the GCD may require a water well originally drilled for the purpose of rig supply to be permitted by the GCD and to comply with all GCD rules if the purpose of the well no longer is solely to supply water for a rig that is actively engaged in drilling or exploration operations for an oil or gas well permitted by the Railroad Commission. And finally, the well must be plugged in accordance with GCD regulations.”

The RRC also permits disposal wells for drilling fluids.  The RRC website has a searchable database and accompanying GIS viewer to see the exact location of oil and gas injection wells.  If impacts of pumping or drilling are suspected, accurate records of annual lab results and static water levels from your water wells can be used to make the determination.   

It is fitting that we in Texas have rules pertaining to groundwater unlike any other state.  It is our right and privilege to use this precious resource wisely and we have various available resources, mentioned previously, to help ensure that we do. 

This Article Was Written By:

A.K. McDonald, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Range Specialist, Fort Stockton

H.R. McDonald, Plateau Water Well Service, Inc.

References

Estaville, L.E. and R.A. Earl.  2008.  Texas Water Atlas.  Texas A&M University Press, College Station Texas.  130 pp.

George, P.G., R.E. Mace, R. Petrossian.  2011.  Aquifers of Texas.  Texas Water Development Board Report 380.  

Straw, J.  2012.  Chlorine Myths Debunked, Industry Professionals Clear Up Misconceptions of the Widely Used Chemical.  Water Well Journal 66(4):25-27.