Texas maintains some of the most detailed water well records in the country. Before you buy land, sell a property, or drill a new well, knowing how to access those records can save you thousands of dollars and weeks of headaches.
Here is where to look, what you will find, and why it matters.
Why Well Records Matter
Texas has over 700,000 registered water wells on state record. Every one of those wells tells a story: how deep it goes, what aquifer it taps, who drilled it, and what the water looks like.
If you are buying rural property in North Texas, existing well records on that land tell you what depth to expect, whether the prior owner ever tested the water, and whether the well was properly decommissioned if it is no longer active. If you are selling, TREC Form 61-0 requires you to disclose known well information to buyers. Getting that information wrong or leaving it blank creates liability.
Records also help you compare drilling bids. A contractor quoting 400 feet for a Parker County well when the county average is 200 feet deserves a follow-up question.
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)
The TWDB Water Data for Texas portal is the primary public database for water well records in the state. It holds data on hundreds of thousands of wells, including:
- Well depth and casing information
- Driller and permit records
- Water level measurements over time
- Aquifer identification
- Geographic coordinates
The main access point is the State Well Report Database (SDR), available at waterdatafortexas.org. You can search by county, by map, or by tracking number if you have an existing well report.
What you will find useful: depth data, driller name, date drilled, and sometimes yield information. What you will not find: water quality results or pump test data, which are typically held by the driller or the owner.
What the TWDB Data Shows for North Texas
Based on SDR records for the DFW region, here is what typical well depths look like by county:
- Parker County: 10,315 recorded wells, average depth 232 feet, median 200 feet
- Tarrant County: 4,723 recorded wells, average depth 294 feet, median 260 feet
- Wise County: 4,468 recorded wells, average depth 214 feet, median 180 feet
- Hood County: 1,459 recorded wells, average depth 306 feet, median 330 feet
- Erath County: 2,191 recorded wells, average depth 294 feet, median 340 feet
- Johnson County: 2,008 recorded wells, average depth 478 feet, median 399 feet
- Palo Pinto County: 782 recorded wells, average depth 209 feet, median 180 feet
These numbers come from 213,000+ Texas wells with confirmed depth data. They are useful as benchmarks, not guarantees. Your specific property may sit on a different part of the aquifer, and depths can vary significantly even within the same county.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
TCEQ handles well permitting and environmental compliance for certain well types. If you need records related to:
- Public water system wells
- Injection wells
- Wells near known contamination sites
- Well closure or plugging records
The TCEQ Central Registry is your starting point at tceq.texas.gov. You can search by facility, location, or permit number. For residential and agricultural wells, TCEQ records are less relevant than TWDB, but they matter if you are near industrial activity, old oil fields, or a Superfund area.
TCEQ also maintains records on groundwater remediation. If the property you are buying sits near a dry cleaner, gas station, or industrial facility that has had an environmental incident, check TCEQ before you assume the groundwater is clean.
Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs)
This is the one most people miss.
Texas has over 100 Groundwater Conservation Districts, and each one operates independently. Some require well permits. Some have spacing rules. Some cap how many gallons per day you can pump. Some track every well drilled in their boundaries with records that go deeper than what TWDB holds.
If your property is in a GCD, you need to check with that district directly before drilling or buying. GCD rules can affect:
- Whether you need a permit to drill
- How deep you can go
- How many wells are allowed on a tract
- Your legal right to the water once it is pumped
Finding your GCD is straightforward. TWDB maintains a GCD map at twdb.texas.gov. Search by county and you will see which district, if any, covers that land. Many GCDs have their own well record databases that supplement what TWDB holds.
Our free Pre-Drill Report includes GCD lookup for North Texas properties. It tells you which district covers your land and what permitting rules apply before you spend money on a driller.
How to Search for a Specific Property
Here is a practical workflow for looking up records on a specific parcel:
- Start at TWDB Water Data for Texas (waterdatafortexas.org). Use the map tool to zoom into your county, then click within the property boundary. Any registered wells on or near that parcel will show up as pins.
- Pull the well report by clicking the pin. You will see the tracking number, driller, depth, casing details, and aquifer. Download the PDF if you want a hard copy.
- Check TCEQ if you are near industrial or commercial areas. Search by address or geographic coordinates.
- Contact the local GCD if one exists. Ask for any permit records associated with the property address or legal description.
- Review county records if applicable. Some Texas counties maintain their own supplemental records through the appraisal district or county clerk.
What to Do When Records Are Incomplete
Plenty of old wells in Texas were drilled before record-keeping requirements existed. If you find a well on a property but cannot locate any TWDB data for it, that is a red flag worth investigating, not ignoring.
Options include:
- Hire a licensed driller to physically inspect and document the well
- Order a professional well check to assess condition, depth, and output
- Check with the prior owner if they have paper copies of any driller reports
Under Texas law, an undocumented or improperly plugged well can create legal and environmental liability for the current owner. If TREC Form 61-0 comes up during your transaction and there is an unregistered well on the property, that needs to be addressed before closing.
Using Well Records for Drilling Decisions
If you are planning to drill a new well, the well records in your county are the single best source of pre-drilling intelligence. Surrounding wells tell you:
- Expected depth to water
- Which aquifer you will likely hit
- Yield ranges reported by nearby drillers
- Any known water quality issues in the area
A qualified driller will pull this data before giving you a quote. If yours does not, ask why. Drilling costs in North Texas typically run $65 to $120 per foot, and total project costs usually land between $25,000 and $60,000 depending on depth, casing, pump, and site conditions. Knowing the expected depth before you sign a contract matters.
Get a Free Pre-Drill Report for Your Property
Before you drill, know what is under your land. Our free Pre-Drill Report pulls TWDB depth data, identifies your GCD and any permitting requirements, and shows you what nearby wells have produced. It takes about two minutes and costs nothing.
If you already have a well and want to know its current condition, start with a free well check instead. We will tell you what to expect before anyone picks up a drill.