A permit is required for drilling a new Edwards and/or Trinity well in the District. The classification of the permit depends on the type of intended use, area of land, and amount of water that will be pumped. The steps on this page will help you identify the type of permit needed for your well along with the required application materials.
Step 1: See if You’re Located in the District
The District is only responsible for permits and wells within our boundary. In our Original Territory, we oversee both the Edwards and Trinity aquifers. In our Shared Territory located further south, we manage the Trinity Aquifer while the Edwards Aquifer Authority oversees the Edwards.
- 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’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 Well
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
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 permit your well will be required to:
- Use less than 7 gallons per minute (10,000 gallons per day/1 horsepower)
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 will use less than 500,000 gallons of water/year
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 UCP example 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 less than 500,000 gallons of water/year
- Have a meter installed and report meter readings annually 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 (IPP).
Need Additional Assistance?
Contact Erin Swanson, Regulatory Compliance Manager, at eswanson@bseacd.org or Jacob Newton, Regulatory Compliance Coordinator, at jnewton@bseacd.org.
