Wells Required to be Registered

  • All new wells must be approved and registered before construction begins.
  • All new non-exempt wells require a Production Report and are require to submit a competed Production Permit Application.
  • All wells that have transferred ownership (e.g., property purchased with existing well) since April 1, 2012 are required to register with the District within 90 days of transfer. There is no charge to register an exempt well that has transferred ownership.
  • All non-exempt wells are required to be registered with the District and equipped with a meter regardless of the date drilled.


​Registration Information

  • Production Permit Application may be submitted after the Registration Application is submitted. However, the Production Permit Application must be filed, be declared administratively complete, and be acted on by the District Board within a timeframe that allows the well to be drilled and completed by the deadline.
  • All new wells must meet spacing requirements outlined in Rule 4.2. The spacing requirements are outlined in the table below.
  • A Hydrogeological Report is required for a new permit if the proposed aggregate production capacity of the well or well system is 200 gpm or above.  The report must meet all of the requirements set forth in the District's Hydrogeological Report Requirements.  The following is a link to the District's Hydrogeological Report Requirements.
  • If the well doesn't require approval by TCEQ prior to operation, a new well has 240 days from the date of approval of the application for well registration to drill and complete the new well. If drilling has not commenced within 240 days from the date of approval of the registration application, the well registration expires. However, a registrant may apply for one extension of an additional 240 days or may resubmit an identical well registration without the need to pay any additional administrative fee associated with the submittal of well registrations for new wells. Upon the expiration of a well registration, the District may process a resubmission of an expired registration application only upon the passage of thirty (30) calendar days from the date the previous registration application expired.
  • ​If the well does require approval by TCEQ prior to operation, ​a new well has 365 days from the date of approval of the registration application to drill and As Amended on January 1, 2019 Page 16 complete the new well, with up to two (2) 365-day extension options.
  • All new wells must be drilled within 30 feet (10 yards) of the location specified in the registration application.
  • New wells will be flow tested after completion as maximum flow rate is the determining factor in well spacing.
  • The District's Flow Testing Procedure can be found at the following link:  Flow Testing Procedure


    Minimum Spacing Requirements for All New Wells in the District (Applies to all aquifers)

    Maximum Capacity

    of Well

    Spacing from

    Property Line

    Spacing from Existing Wells

    Completed in the Same Aquifer

    (feet)

    17.36 gpm or less50 feet100 feet
    Greater than 17.36 gpm50 feet

    889 feet + [2.5 x (gpm of the proposed well)]


    Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page to find out if your well is non-exempt or feel free to contact the District.


    The District's well registration website can be found at http://dripdrop.redrivergcd.org.  Please visit this site and create a login to begin registering your wells online. If you have any questions about this process, please feel free contact the District staff.  To register a new well, an existing well, or to transfer ownership of a well, you can download the form here


    Existing exempt well owners are encouraged to register their wells with the District to help the District protect their groundwater.  There is no charge to register your exempt well that existed prior to April 1, 2012 (the date which all new wells were required to begin registering). The District can only protect wells that are registered with the District. 


    For information on how many wells are currently registered in the District click here.

    Well Registration

    Phone : (800) 256-0935 Fax: (903) 786-8211