A permit is required to drill any new well within the District. The type of permit required depends on several factors, including the intended use of the well, the property’s acreage, the aquifer from which water will be produced, and the anticipated annual production volume. The steps outlined on this page will help you determine the appropriate permit for your well and identify the application materials required.
Step 1: See if You’re Located in the District
The District is responsible for managing and permitting groundwater wells within its boundaries. Within the Original Territory, the District manages and permits wells completed in all aquifers, including the Edwards, Trinity, alluvial, and chalk aquifers. Within the southern Shared Territory, the District’s management and permitting responsibilities include all of these aquifers except the Edwards Aquifer, which is managed by the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
- If you know your proposed well will be located in the District, continue scrolling to the next section of this page.
- If you are interested in a well in the Edwards Aquifer in the Shared Territory, please contact the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
- If you are interested in a well in Hays County outside of our territory, please contact Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.
- If you are interested in a well in Southwestern Travis County outside of our territory, please contact the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District.
- If you’re unsure if you’re located in the District, click below to use our interactive map. You can enter an address and find out if your well falls within our territory.
Step 2: Which of the Following Do You Need?
Permit for a New Well
Need a permit to drill a new well in the District? Scroll down to find out what specific type of form you need.
Permit to Plug or Cap a Well
Click on the button relevant to your type of well that needs to be plugged or capped.
Register an Existing Well
Interested in registering an existing well or obtaining a Production Permit? Click below!
Step 3: Narrow Down the Type of Permit
From left to right, click on and review the criteria of the tabs below to see which type of well application you need.
Does your proposed well meet ALL of the following criteria?
- Well is solely used for domestic use and/or livestock use
- Well is located on a property that is 10 acres or more
- Well is a scientific monitoring well or District drought indicator well, a remediation well, an injection well, or a dewatering well.
If so, you need to apply for a new Exempt Well permit. A complete application will include the following:
- Completed New Exempt Well Application Form that is notarized
- $450 application fee written as a check to Barton Springs EACD
- Ownership documentation (deed, survey)
- Site building plan
- Well coordinates
- Septic coordinates
- Well schematic
Once you have all of these items, please mail them or drop them off at our office located at 1124 Regal Row, Austin, Texas any weekday between 9am – 4pm.
Please note that with this authorization your well will be required to:
- Use no more than 7 gallons per minute (roughly 10,000 gallons per day)
If your well does not meet the requirements to be considered an Exempt Well, does it meet ALL of the following criteria?
- Well is located outside of a CCN (certificate of convenience and necessity) AKA public water supplier
- Well is located on a property less than 10 acres.
- Well is located on a tract of land platted prior to October 16, 2026.
If so, you need to apply for a permit for a new Limited Production Permit (LPP). A complete application will include the following:
- Completed New Well LPP Application Form that is notarized
- $450 application fee written as a check to Barton Spring EACD
- Ownership documentation (deed, survey)
- Site building plan
- Well coordinates
- Septic coordinates
- Well schematic
- Completed and signed User Conservation Plan (UCP). You can find a blank UCP form here.
Once you have all of these items, please mail them or drop them off at our office located at 1124 Regal Row, Austin, Texas any weekday between 9am – 4pm.
Please note that with this permit your well will be required to
Use no more than 125,000 gallons of water/year.
Have a meter installed and submit meter readings by September 5 each year to the District.
If your well doesn’t meet the requirements to be considered an Exempt Well or a Limited Production Permit Well, please visit this page for information on Individual Production Permits (IPPs).
Need Additional Assistance?
Contact Erin Swanson, Regulatory Compliance Manager, at eswanson@bseacd.org or Jacob Newton, Regulatory Compliance Coordinator, at jnewton@bseacd.org.