HGSD is a special-purpose district that the Texas Legislature created in 1975 to regulate groundwater withdrawal to prevent further subsidence in Harris and Galveston counties. While the District is a governmental entity, it is not funded by taxes; it is self-funded through permit fees from a groundwater well permitting system that supports the District’s ability to monitor subsidence, regulate groundwater effectively, and implement award-winning water conservation programs to further reduce reliance on groundwater.

  • Application, Registration, and other Administrative Fees – The Board establishes a schedule of administrative fees that does not unreasonably exceed the cost to the District of performing the function for which fees are charged. Payment of the appropriate fee under the fee schedule is required before the District performs any administrative action.
  • Base Fee – This fee is applied to all of a permittee’s authorized groundwater withdrawals. The revenue collected from the base fee covers the costs of issuing permits and performing other regulatory functions of the District.
  • Disincentive Fee – In addition to the base fee, a disincentive fee will be applied to groundwater withdrawals that exceed the applicable percentage of total water demand for the Regulatory Area where the well is located. The purpose of the disincentive fee is to create an economic incentive for permittees to take steps to ultimately reduce groundwater use and remain compliant within their permit terms. The revenue collected from the disincentive fee is strictly dedicated to funding the District’s Science & Research program. HGSD’s Regulatory Plan provides several solutions to avoid disincentive fees, including Groundwater Credits, Groundwater Reduction Plans, and Groundwater Conservation Plans. Discover more information about these solutions in the District’s Rules.

To view HGSD’s current fee schedule, please click here!