Texas Water Code Chapter 36 and the Rules of the Blanco Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District provide for certain wells to be exempted from the requirement of applying for a Well Operating Permit.  In order to be exempted, the well must meet the following criteria:

Exempt Wells

• Any well or aggregate of wells, regardless of use that are drilled, completed, or equipped to be incapable of producing more than 25,000 gallons per day (17.36 gallons per minute) in aggregate, are exempt from the requirement to obtain an Operating Permit, but may be subject to other rules of the District. District Rules require that new wells be spaced 50’ from property lines and septic tanks and 100’ from septic disposal fields and existing wells
• A test well is exempt from obtaining an Operating Permit. Once testing is concluded, the well must either be properly plugged, or the owner must submit a “Change in Well Condition, Operation or Status” application form to convert the well to a different use.  In the case of conversion to a non-exempt use, the owner must obtain an Operating Permit. Authorization to drill a test well does not guarantee issuance of an Operating Permit for that well.
• The owner of an exempt well that proposes to change the rate of withdrawal of groundwater from the exempt well shall seek authorization from the District prior to making such changes. Changes in the rate of withdrawal may result in the well being reclassified as non-exempt, which would require the well owner to apply for an Operating Permit.
• Special Pond Information: Exempt wells may provide groundwater to ponds, lakes, tanks, reservoirs, or other surface impoundments for holding water, but such use is solely restricted to domestic use or livestock watering use, and is further restricted to maintaining no more than 50,000 gallons of groundwater in storage (approximately the size of a large swimming pool).  The District has no restriction on the size of ponds, lakes, tanks, reservoirs, or other surface impoundments for holding water, but any water stored in addition to the 50,000 gallons of groundwater allowance must be obtained from other sources such as direct rainfall or surface runoff.

Non-Exempt Wells

• Any well, regardless of use, that is equipped with a pump rated at more than 17.36 gallons per minute is considered by District Rules to be a Non-Exempt Well, and must apply for, and obtain, a Well Operating Permit. The current application fee for an Operating Permit for a new Non-Exempt Well is $1,000.
• Special Pond Information: The water produced from a Non-Exempt Well cannot be pumped into any ponds, lakes, tanks, reservoirs, or other surface impoundments for holding water, except for those Non-Exempt Wells which have an Operating Permit authorizing their use as non-domestic irrigation system wells in which the system design requires the installation and use of a temporary storage pond and a boost pump.