Water Wells
| Well Basics | Public Wells |
| Private Wells | Groundwater as Drinking Water |
| Well Contamination | Abandoned Wells |
| Drilling a Well | Groundwater Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
A water well is a hole drilled into an aquifer with a pipe, screen, and pump to pull water out of the ground. There are many different types and uses of wells. Public wells supply drinking water to municipalities. Private or domestic wells can be used for a variety purposes, such as irrigation, drinking water and industrial uses.
Well Basics
The Groundwater Foundation's Wells and How they Work has more information on well construction.
The inside of a water well can be fascinating, as seen in a 40-second video taken with a camera lowered down Austin Community College's Edwards Aquifer monitoring well. To watch the video, click on the image below of the Northridge Campus building which houses this well. The numbers in the center of the video indicate the depth in feet below the land surface. There may be a few pauses as the video loads for the first time. Video provided by GeoCam, Inc. for Austin Community College.
Statewide Water Well Databases
Five searchable, online water well databases provide a wealth of data on the water wells that exist in Texas:
- The joint Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System includes over 270,000 reports submitted by water well drillers since 2001.
- For wells drilled as early as 1820, the TWDB Water Information, Integration, and Dissemination (WIID) System includes approximately 136,000 water well reports in the TWDB Groundwater Database. Data from these wells can be viewed in an interactive map application, and wells in the joint TWDB/TDLR System can also be accessed by selecting Submitted Driller's Reports and zooming in until the 2.5' State Grid layer is visible and active.
- The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Well Report Viewer allows users to geographically locate and view copies of at least one million scanned water well reports submitted by drillers since 1960.
- For public drinking water sources, the TCEQ Source Water Assessment Viewer displays not only water wells and surface water intakes, but also provides information such as well depth and drilling date.
- The TCEQ Texas Drinking Water Watch displays detailed information on public water systems, including their drinking water sources, and users can obtain information such as drilling date and pumping rate for the public drinking water wells.
Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) also maintain records and registrations for water wells specific to their jurisdictions - contact your local GCD for assistance in obtaining up-to-date information on water levels, pump levels, and any recent changes made to your water well. Most GCDs are members of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts you can click on "Membership/Current Members/District" to get specific GCD contact information. A local licensed water well driller may also be familiar with nearby water wells.
In addition, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System has historical records from water wells across the country and this online database can be searched for detailed location, depth, aquifer, water level, and water quality information for selected water wells in Texas.
For more information, see the TGPC's What are the Statewide Water Well Databases ? FAQ.
Public Wells
Public wells serve public water supply systems and are regulated by the Public Drinking Water Section of the TCEQ. These public water supply systems must have at least 15 service connections or serve at least 25 individuals at least 60 days out of the year.
- TCEQ's Public Drinking Water Section regulates public water supply systems
- TCEQ's Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) Page. CCR's are annual water reports from community water supplies.
- Texas Rural Water Association is a statewide nonprofit educational and trade association.
- TWDB's Clean Water State Revolving Fund provides loans at interest rates lower than market rate to governmental entities for water infrastructure projects.
- National Drinking Water Clearinghouse provides assistance to small communities on drinking water issues.
- American Water Works Association assists water supply professionals with information and resources.
Private Wells
Private wells do not serve public water supply systems and are largely unregulated. Proper well practices are crucial to protecting water quality and well longevity.
- EPA's Publication "Drinking Water from Household Wells".
- EPA's Private Drinking Water Wells Page gives information on testing private wells, protecting private well water and homeowner guides for private drinking water wells.
- National Small Flows Clearinghouse's Pipeline article "How to Keep Your Water 'Well'"
- Water Systems Council "Buying a Home with a Well" provides homebuyers with information on what to look for before you purchase a home with a well.
Well Maintenance
- Tex*A*Syst's "Reducing Contamination by Improving Wellhead Management and Conditions"
- Wellowner.org contains information on maintaining wells, protecting water supply, finding a contractor and more.
Testing Private Wells
- TCEQ publication regarding Disinfection and Sampling of Your Well (PDF. Help with PDF.)
- EPA's Private Drinking Water Wells Page
- Center for Disease Control's Private Well Resources
- If a well is located in a groundwater district, sometimes the district can provide testing services or resources. See the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts for information.
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service (TAES) on-line Bookstore offers a number of publications on drinking water contamination (e.g., lead, arsenic, copper, nitrates, radionuclides, etc.). On the left side of the webpage:
- Click on "SEARCH"
- Enter "drinking water" (without quotes) for "Keyword or Phrase ?" and then click on Submit Query
- Click on the publication icon/number of interest (some of which are available in Spanish), and then click on View PDF to view or print it free of cost
- TAES publications L-5450 and L-5450S ("Solving Water Quality Problems in the Home" in English and Spanish, respectively) and E-176 ("What's In My Water?") are a good introduction to this subject
Industrial Wells
- Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) regulates oil and gas industry wells.
Well Contamination
There are several ways a well can become contaminated. Toxic material spilled or dumped near a well can leach into the aquifer and contaminate the groundwater drawn from a well. Polluted water can leak through the walls of poorly maintained or shoddily constructed wells. Wells can get contaminated from septic tanks placed too close or abandoned wells in the area. Flood events can also impact the quality of well water.
Well owners can protect themselves from contamination in several ways, such as preventing pollution in the aquifer and maintaining proper well practices. The first step in preventing well contamination is education. We hope these links help.
- TGPC's Groundwater Contamination Page
- Tex*A*Syst's "Reducing Contamination by Improving Wellhead Management and Conditions"
- TCEQ's Water Quality Page
- EPA's National Water Quality Standards Database
- EPA's Private Drinking Water Wells Page
- Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts
Abandoned Wells
Abandoned wells are a threat to well water and public safety. Abandoned wells provide a direct channel for contaminants to pollute the aquifer below. Contaminants that enter a well are introduced directly into the aquifer with no opportunity for natural filtration by soils or geologic materials.
Abandoned wells also present the possibility that a humans or animals can fall into the unplugged wells and suffer injury or death. Texas law makes the landowner responsible for plugging abandoned wells and liable for any water contamination or injury.
- TGPC's "Landowner's Guide to Plugging Abandoned Water Wells"
- TAES's Abandoned Well Page
- TAES's "Plugging Abandoned Water Wells" and "Capping of Water Wells for Future Use" publications can be found at their on-line Bookstore. On the left side of the webpage:
- Click on "SEARCH"
- Enter "water wells" (without quotes) for "Keyword or Phrase ?" and then click on Submit Query
- Click on the publication icon/number of interest (some of which are available in Spanish), and then click on View PDF to view or print it free of cost
- TDLR's Abandoned Water Well Resources
- TDLR's Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Abandoned or Deteriorated Wells
- TDLR's Well Plugging Specifications
- TDLR's Abandoned Well Determination Checklist
- RRC's Well Plugging Primer (PDF, Help with PDF) for oil and gas industry wells
Possible Funding Resources
- Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts
- U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service can provide cost-share assistance through its "Environmental Quality Incentives Program"
Groundwater Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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