Abandoned Well Plugging Program
Abandoned wells are “direct conduits” from the surface to the groundwater and aquifers below. Any surface interaction with groundwater can be a risk for pollution of the aquifer, therefore it is important to report and plug any abandoned wells on your property.
What constitutes as an Abandoned Well? The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) has a webpage that goes over Abandoned Well FAQs for any questions you may have.
Guidelines on how to report and plug a known abandoned well in Bandera County:
- Abandoned wells must be plugged in accordance with the standards established by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s Well Driller and Pump Installers Rules. No such well may be used for disposal of trash, garbage, sewage, wastewater or other foreign material. It is the responsibility of the owner to see that such a well is plugged to prevent pollution of the ground water and to prevent injury to persons.
- BCRAGD may be able to assist with the cost of plugging the well. To the extend of available resources, the well owner may request for cost assistance with plugging abandoned wells that are registered or permitted with the District and were drilled prior to the adoption of the rules regarding abandoned wells. Water wells that supply or are associated with a public water system are not eligible for assistance through the well plugging fund. A test or blast hole in quarries or mines or a well or excavation constructed to explore for or produce oil, gas, or other minerals, is not eligible for assistance through the well plugging fund.
- Any person that plugs a well in the District shall submit a copy of the plugging report to the District within sixty (60) days of plugging completion. A digital copy of the plugging report can be found in the link below.
- Water Well Drillers are required to notify both the owner of the property and the District in writing whenever a well must be plugged. The notification to the District shall be submitted on a District form and submitted within thirty days.
Link to Well Plugging Report Form