WELL: A well means any facility, device, or method used to withdraw groundwater supply. The well owner, well operator, or any other person acting on behalf of the well owner must obtain a permit before a well may be drilled or operated.  A well must be permitted prior to drilling and must remain permitted unless and until the well plumbing and power source are disconnected from the wellhead or the well casing is capped, or the well is plugged. Wells must be capped or plugged in accordance with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation rules, 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 76.104 (as amended).

EXCLUSIONS AND EXEMPTIONS: A well with a casing diameter of less than five inches that serves only a single-family dwelling is excluded from the permit requirements of these Rules. Serving only a single-family dwelling means the well supplies groundwater for domestic use within one home on property without an available alternative water supply. Domestic use includes water used inside the home for any purpose and may also include use outside the home for landscape irrigation, garden irrigation, or providing water to domestic livestock.  A new well to be located on property that has an available alternative water supply and is located inside a platted subdivision does not qualify for this exemption and must obtain a drilling and operating permit in accordance with District Rules. The permit requirements do not apply to: (i) windmills serving a well with a casing diameter of four inches nominal or less, (ii) monitoring wells, (iii) leachate wells (iv) extraction wells, (v) injection wells, or (vi) dewatering wells.

NEW WELLS: All new wells, except leachate wells, extraction wells, injection wells, monitoring wells, and dewatering wells, must be registered by the well owner, well operator, or water well driller prior to being drilled.  Registration may be submitted by mail or electronically using a form provided by the District.  The District staff shall review the registration and make a preliminary determination as to whether the well meets the exclusions or exemptions provided in District Rules, and shall inform the registrant of that determination within five business days.  If the preliminary determination is that the well is excluded or exempt, the registrant may begin drilling immediately upon receiving the approved registration. It shall be a violation of these Rules for a well owner, well operator, or water well driller to drill any well without first filing the approved registration form with the District.

For more information, please review our District Rules.

All wells must be registered prior to drilling.

Well drillers can create their own accounts and still submit on behalf of well owners. If the well requires a permit, the permittee must apply for a permit before submitting the Well Registration application. A well owner, well operator, or water well driller cannot drill any well without the approved registration form filed with the District.

User Guide – Well Registration

In order to access the permitting portal, you must have a working email address.

For new permittees or well drillers, we recommend that the email used for this account be accessible in the long-term.

For current permittees, we recommend that you use an email that has previously been linked to your permit. If you are not sure what email is currently associated with your permit, you can look on your most recent well renewal form. If you need to update the address associated with your account, see the “Before You Start” section above.

User Guide – Create an Account

Note – If you do not see your permit, check that the email address you are using is the same one associated with your well number.

User Guide – How to Pay Permit Fee Statement

Application for Emergency Permit – If you would like to expedite the permit process, you may file an application for Emergency Permit.

You will need to complete the following fields in the well permit on the Permitting Portal:

Send an application fee of $500.00 for Emergency applications for each well within seven (7) days to the District address.

Increase or Decrease in Groundwater Allocation

Increase: You require more water than the amount for which you initially applied. Must submit the application before you exceed your permitted allocation or the permit expires.

Decrease: You do not require the amount of water for which you initially applied.

User Guide – Increase/Decrease Permit Amendments

Transfer of Ownership: Use this form if you recent purchased a property that includes the well in question.

User Guide – Transfer of Ownership Amendment

To renew your well permit, please return to the portal home page to find your expiring permit and Choose ‘Actions’ > ‘Renew.’ You must log in using the email address associated with last year’s well application to view the permit to renew. If you are not sure what email is currently associated with your permit, you can look on your most recent well renewal form. If you need to update the address associated with your account, please email info@subsidence.org and our team will assist you.

All permit holders are required to submit their annual (January-December of the previous year) groundwater use by January 31st each year. Learn how to submit your report online by clicking here!

There is NO FEE required to submit your annual report.

Guideline for Annual Report Estimations:

  • Single Family Residence: 100,000 gallons
  • Mobile Homes: 60,000 – 75,000 gallons
  • Businesses: 10 gallons per person X days of the year worked plus any water usage for business needs
  • Churches: 2 gallons per person X number of services in the year
  • Livestock
    • Hogs, Equine: 10 gallons per head per day
    • Sheep, Goats: 2 gallons per head per day
    • Cattle (Feed): 15 gallons per head per day
    • Cattle (Dairy): 75 gallons per head per day
    • Birds (Chickens, Turkeys, etc.): 0.2 gallons per head per day

If you are estimating, you only have to include the total for the year, not each month.

Please visit our Annual Pumpage Report webpage for additional information.

Meter Card Reporting: Used for reporting meter readings as required by the District. User Guide – Meter Card

Meter Calibration: Used for when a meter is recalibrated. User Guide – Meter Calibration

Test is required:

  • Meter Diameter is less than 6 inches – Every 3 years
  • Meter Diameter is 6 inches or greater – Every year
  • PD (Positive Displacement) Type meters, all sizes – As required.

Meter Testing Companies
This is an alphabetical listing of companies that perform meter calibrations and make adjustments as necessary using approved methods, and have submitted compliance information to the District.

***THIS LISTING DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION***

Absolute Meter Service
P. O. Box 752662
Houston, Texas 77275-2662
Phone: 281-481-2304
Cell: 281-844-1367
Fax: 281-464-2758
Email: absolutemeter@sbcglobal.net

Accurate Meter & Backflow, LLC
1402 Vander Wilt Ln
Katy, Texas 77449
Phone: 281-391-8100
Fax: 281-391-8110
Email: sara@accuratemeter.com

Endress+Hauser Inc.
10057 Porter Road, Suite 100
La Porte, Texas 77571
Phone: 317-535-1350

Fluid Meter Service Corp.
10321 Monroe
Houston, Texas 77075
Phone: 713-991-5279
Fax: 713-991-4744
Email: contact@fluidmetertx.com

G-M Services
P.O. Box 690309
Houston, Texas 77269
Phone: 281-894-8971
Fax: 713-644-8034
Email: gary@g-mservices.com

Precision Calibrate
4244 Bee Cave Road
Spicewood, Texas 78669
Phone: 512-785-9944
Email: Noffy3@yahoo.com

Southern Flowmeter, Inc.
11152 Westheimer Rd #890
Houston, Texas 77042
Phone: 281-997-5544
Fax: 281-946-5045
Email: service@southernmeter.com

Permittees can sponsor the HGSD Water Conservation Program in exchange for Series B Credits, which can be applied during the permit renewal process to increase groundwater use without increasing the permit rate.

Each sponsorship will earn the permittee 84,000 gallons of Series B Credits that may be applied toward an additional 30% groundwater use during the permit term.

Series B Credits are valid for 20 years from the date of issuance.

Municipal Utility Districts and water providers may sponsor the school program through interlocal agreements. Learn more here!

For more information about rebates, view the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District Rules for more information.

User Guide – Rebates

Permit Fee Rebate: Use this form to receive a rebate of your Permit Fee for an unused portion of your allocation after your permit term has ended. The District will not consider rebates of less than $100.

Groundwater Credit Rebate: Use this form to receive a rebate of your Permit Fee for an unused portion of your allocation after your permit term has ended.

Over-Conversion Credit: To be used after your permit term has expired, only for permittees in Regulatory Area 3 who exceed the District’s groundwater reduction requirements.

Disincentive Fee Rebate: The form and fee must be received within ninety (90) calendar days after the termination date of the permit(s) to be considered for a rebate.

Good news! You no longer need to submit a request to view wells within the District.

Click here to view a interactive map that shows all water wells with a District permit.