March 13, 2019 - At last night’s Board meeting, the District received a number of public comments regarding information being circulated that the District plans to begin taxing private water well owners. To be clear, this information is not being circulated by the District and could not be further from the truth. As referenced in Chapter 36.117 of the Texas Water Code and District Rule 3.8 on Exempt Well Status, if you own a well to be “used solely for domestic use or for providing water for livestock or poultry on a tract of land larger than 10 acres that is incapable of producing more than 25,000 gallons of groundwater a day…” you are considered to be an exempt water well owner. As an exempt water well owner, you are exempt from 1) permitting your well; 2) metering your well; and 3) paying water use fees to the District. The only requirement of an exempt well owner is that they register their well with the District by submitting a Well Registration form and upon completion of the well, submit a State of Texas Well Report. See District Rule 3.9. In other words, the District is prohibited by statute from charging an exempt well owner a water use fee. The District’s Board of Directors wishes to make it very clear that the District does not charge, and has no plans to start charging, exempt water well owners a water use fee.
For additional information, please reference the District’s Permitting and Management & Rules pages.