Well Registration Applications
All Water wells located within the Bluebonnet Groundwater Conservation District (Austin, Grimes, Walker, and Waller Counties) must be registered with Bluebonnet GCD by using the links below.
- Exempt Wells: Domestic (Single-family Household), Agriculture, Monitor, RRC Drilling, and RRC Mining Wells.
- Non-Exempt Wells – Commercial, Industrial, Public Water Supply, Recreational, Transportation, and any use not expressly exempt.
- Operating Permit – Required for all Non-Exempt Wells.
- Aggregation Permit – For permit holders of a well system serving the same subdivision, facility, or service area.
- Transport Permit – For Non-Exempt Wells pumping, transferring, exporting, or moving water outside the District.
- Permit Amendment – For existing permits amending transfer of ownership, change of use, production increase/decrease, aggregating multiple wells.
- Permit Renewal – For permits that are expiring.
EXEMPT WELLS – Domestic, Agricultural, Monitoring and Railroad Commission wells
Rule 8.3 of the BGCD Rules allows certain wells to be operated, after being registered, without an operating permit from the District. These wells are referred to as “exempt wells”. The following types of water wells are classified as exempt wells:
- A well used for domestic use on a single tract of land (domestic well).
- Agricultural wells.
- A water well used solely to supply water for a rig that is actively engaged in drilling or exploration operations for an oil and gas well permitted by the Railroad Commission of Texas, provided that the person holding the permit is responsible for drilling and operating the water well and the well is located on the same lease or field associated with the drilling rig. Note, if the sole purpose of the well is no longer to supply water for a right that is actively engaged in drilling or exploration operations, the well is no longer exempt and must be permitted by the District.
- The drilling of a water well authorized under a permit issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas under Chapter 134, Natural Resource Code, or for production from anysuch well to the extent the withdrawals are required for mining activities regardless of any subsequent use of the water. An entity holding a permit issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas under Chapter 134, Natural Resources Code that authorizes the drilling of a water well shall report monthly to the District:
- the total amount of water withdrawn during the month;
- the quantity of water necessary for mining activities; and,
- the quantity of water withdrawn for other purposes.
- Note, if the withdrawals from the well are no longer necessary for mining activities or are a greater amount than necessary for mining activities, then the well is no longer exempt and must be permitted by the District. Such well remains exempt from District spacing requirements.
- Monitoring wells.
- Aquifer storage and recovery injection well and recovery wells (unless the well recovers more than authorized by the TCEQ, which then requires a permit from the District).
- A well for temporary use to supply water for a rig that is actively engaged in drilling a groundwater production well permitted by the District. An exemption for such a well may not exceed 180 days without an extension granted by the District.
If an exempt well was drilled and completed prior to the start of well registration by the District, the Well Registration Form must be completed and filed with the District. The District realizes that the current well owner/operator may not have all the information required to complete this form. As much information as the current owner/operator has available is to be entered on the form and the form returned to the District. There is no fee for registering an existing exempt well.
For new exempt wells to be drilled after the start of well registration by the District, the Well Registration Form must be completed and filed with the District prior to the start of any work to drill the well. Drilling operations may not begin until a Well Development Authorization is obtained from the District. In emergency circumstances contact the District office for procedures for obtaining an emergency approval to proceed. Please note that emergency approvals will not be issued because the proper application has not been filed with the District and the driller is ready to proceed with drilling operations.
There is no Well Development fee for a new exempt well. However, a Well Log Deposit of $100.00 must accompany the Well Development Application. All or part of this deposit will be refunded if documentation pertaining to the drilling of the well, including copies of the drillers logs, are submitted to the District within 60 days after completion of the well.
If after registering an exempt well, the use of the water produced by the well is to be changed to a non-exempt use, additional operating permits must be obtained from the District prior to the use of the water produced being changed. Contact the District office for details on the form that will need to be filed with the District and for the approvals that will have to be obtained from the District.
Contact the District office if there are any questions.
NON-EXEMPT WELLS – Commercial, Industrial, Public Water Supply, Recreational and Transportation
See Rules 8.5 and 8.6 for additional details. Each original application for non-exempt well registration, operating permits, transport permits, well plugging, well drilling, or well modification authorization requires a separate application. Application forms will be provided by the District and provided to the applicant by request. An application for a operating permit and transport permit shall be in writing and sworn. Applications shall contain:
- the name and mailing address of the applicant and the name and address of the owner of the land, if different from the applicant, on which the well is to be located;
- if the applicant is not the owner of the property, documentation establishing the applicable authority to construct and operate a well on the owner’s property for the proposed use;
- a statement of the nature and purpose of the proposed use and the amount of water to be used for each purpose.
- availability of feasible and practicable alternative supplies to the applicant.
- a statement of the projected effect of the proposed withdrawal on the aquifer or aquifer conditions, depletion, subsidence, or effects on existing permit holders or other groundwater users in the District; if required under Rule 8.5F an applicant shall submit Phase I and Phase II hydrogeological reports prepared by a Texas licensed geoscientist or Texas licensed engineer to evaluate these factors in accordance with Rule 8.5F;
- the applicant’s water conservation plan and, if any subsequent user of the water is a municipality or entity providing retail water services, the water conservation plan of that municipality or entity shall also be provided. In lieu of a water conservation plan, a declaration that the applicant and/or a subsequent user if any subsequent user is a municipality or entity providing retail water services will comply with the District’s management plan, when one is adopted;
- Applicant must provide:
- coordinates of proposed location of the well or wells (in latitude/longitude or other appropriate identified coordinate system);
- a proposed well construction diagram;
- a map showing the location of the proposed well or wells, all existing wells, hydrologic features, and geologic features located within half (1/2) mile radius of the proposed well or wells site;
- proposed production of the well or wells;
- proposed production rate for the well or wells;
- a well closure plan or a declaration that the applicant will comply with well plugging guidelines and report closure to the applicable authorities, including the District;
- the identity of the well driller, including the well driller’s license number;
- the names and addresses of the property owners, and the location of their wells within a half-mile radius of the location of the well(s) from which water is to be produced;
- to the extent required under Rule 8.5D, proof of notification of the application to all property owners and well owners within a half (1/2) mile radius of the well subject that is subject of the application and political subdivisions within a half (1/2) mile radius of any of the property where the well or wells are located, along with the publisher’s affidavit and tear sheet showing publication of the notice;
- for wells requiring hydrogeological reports under Rule 8.5F, an analysis explaining how the groundwater production proposed in the application will impact eh desired future conditions applicable to the District; and,
- any other information required by the General Manager or Board that in included in District rules in effect on the date the application is submitted that specifics what information must be included in the application for a determination of administrative completeness and reasonably relates to an issues that the District is by law authorized to consider.
Applications for well registration, operating permits, transport permits, well plugging, well drilling, or well modification authorization shall be made in the name of the well owner or property owner on a form or forms provided by the District. The sworn, original application must be submitted and signed by the owner or an authorized agent of the owner, who may be required to provide the District with a notarized authorization from the owner. This agent may be the well driller, lessee or renter of the property or well, power of attorney, or other appropriate agent. District staff will determine if an application is administratively complete.
An administratively complete application will consist of the submission to the District of an original, completed, signed, and notarized application, payment of all applicable application fees, inspection fees, water use fees, and other District-imposed fees, submission of any required maps, documents, or supplementary information required by the District, the Board, the General Manager, or the General Manager’s designated representative, the completion of any 20-day public response period initiated through a public notice requirement, mailed notice to the extent required under Rule 8.5D, and the submission of a hydrogeological report if required by Rule 8.5F, and any other documentation required by the District as part of the application. The District will not take action on an application which is not administratively complete or which has preceded in a manner not consistent with District Rules. Applicants submitting incomplete applications will be notified by the District in writing.
Fees Included with Application for Non-Exempt Wells
The application must be accompanied by all applicable fees. The application must be submitted and all applicable fees must be paid to the District before notice is published and mailed, to the extent required by Rule 8.5D below. Payment of all fees, including water use fees, remain the responsibility of the property owner.
Hydrogeological Report Required for Non-Exempt Wells
Applicants seeking to transport groundwater out of the District, permit a nonexempt well or modify to increase production or production capacity of a Public Water Supply, Municipal, Commercial, or Industrial, well with an inside casing diameter greater than eight (8) inches shall be subject to the District requirements to submit data, information, and reports that address the area of influence, drawdown, subsidence, and other pertinent information in accordance with the guidelines developed an required by the District.
The data and information required of the applicant, and the scope and requirements of Phase I reports, and Phase II reports are detailed in Guidelines for Submitting Data and Information and the Preparation of Hydrogeologic Reports in Support of Applications for the Permitted Use of Groundwater, originally adopted April 13, 2023, as amended. The District will provide a copy of the hydrogeologic report guidelines to applicants upon request. Applicants may complete and submit Phase I report or request the District perform the Phase I reports as part of their application submission. If a hydrogeological report is required by this section, the hydrogeological report is a required component of all administratively complete permit applications.
Contact the District office if there are any questions.
A Well Operating Permit is required for each non-exempt well used to produce water.
The Well Operating Permit Application is to be submitted with the Well Development Application obtain authorization from the District prior to the well being drilled. In all other circumstances (e.g. changing a well from exempt use to non-exempt use or existing wells prior to the District’s creation), the Well Operating Permit Application is to be submitted to the District and an Operating Permit obtained from the District prior to the well being placed in production for a non-exempt use.
BGCD Rules Section 8 Registration and Permitting set forth the procedures and requirements to be followed in the application and permitting process to operate non-exempt wells within the District.
If the conditions of a Well Operating Permit are to be changed as the permit is renewed or if changes to the permit are required during the period of the permit, a Well Operating Permit Amendment Application must be filed with the District and approved by the District prior to the changes being made (see Rule 8.10, BGCD Rules).
Contact the District office if there are any questions.
Aggregation Permit – For permit holders of a well system serving the same subdivision, facility, or service area.
Rule 8.14, BGCD Rules allows the production from multiple wells to be authorized under a single permit. A Well Aggregation Permit Application must be submitted including each well and permit to be aggregated. Each well to be aggregated must also have a valid Well Operating Permit. If water produced under an aggregation permit is to be transported for use outside the District, a Transport Permit must also be obtained.
Contact the District office if there are any questions.
Transport Permit – For Non-Exempt Wells pumping, transferring, exporting, or moving water outside the District.
Section 10 of the BGCD Rules sets forth the conditions and procedures for the issuance of a transportation permit. Before any person transports, by any means, any groundwater out of the District produced from a well located within the District, a transport permit must be obtained from the District. Rule 10.2, BGCD Rules, states the only exceptions to this Rule. Each well requiring a transport permit must also have a valid Well Operating Permit.
Contact the District Office if there are any questions about the need for or the process for obtaining transport permits.
Permit Amendment – For existing permits amending transfer of ownership, change of use, production increase/decrease, aggregating multiple wells.
Contact the District Office for Permit Amendment Applications.
Permit Renewal – For permits that are expiring.
Contact the District Office for Permit Renewal Applications.
Below is a PDF link to Bluebonnet GCD’s requirements for Hydrogeological Reports.
Approved Guidelines Phase I and II reports 04-13-2023
Contact the District office if there are any questions.
