Unused Well Form

Please fill out and submit your Unused Well Form below:

Abandoned Wells

In the state of Texas, landowners are liable for any injury resulting from the improperly completed wells or of failure to cap or plug abandoned wells. While capping or plugging wells is not always cheap, legal liability could become much more expensive.

Landowners are also liable for any water contamination resulting from noncompliance with plugging regulations. According to conservative estimates, almost 25 percent of Texas wells are abandoned or the casing is improperly completed. In Texas, abandoned wells are the number one cause of nonpoint source pollution. Remarkably, only one gallon of contaminant can affect 3 to 4 million gallons of water, or the top 3 feet of an aquifer over a 20-acre area.

According to State law, a well is considered abandoned if it has not been used for six consecutive months. A well can be considered in use if it is a) a non-deteriorated well which contains the casing, pump, and pump column in good condition; or b) a non-deteriorated well which has been capped.

While a landowner can do the necessary work to plug certain types of abandoned wells (those with less than 99 feet of standing water), hiring a licensed well driller or pump installer is recommended. Before a landowner plugs his own well, he must first notify the Water Well Drillers Program of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and request a plugging form. If the well is within the boundaries of a water conservation district, that district must also be notified. In the case of Hickory UWCD, a capping/plugging form obtained through our office must be completed.

Any landowner in the District interested in capping a well should contact our office. The District will supply well caps and assist the landowner in capping.

The Hickory UWCD No. 1 would like to remind well-owners that every owner or operator of land within the District is required to plug, close, or cap unused wells safely and securely. The cover must be capable of sustaining weight of at least 400 pounds and constructed in such a way that the covering cannot be easily removed by hand. This rule is in effect to prevent contamination to the underground water supply.
More information regarding abandoned wells can be found at http://abandonedwell.tamu.edu.

Website Accessibility Statement

Hickory Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (the "District") is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, the District strives to provide an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, AA, and commercial screen reading software. Features of the website are created to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Contact our compliance support team via telephone at: (888) 765-1970

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Coordinator

The District has designated a Compliance Coordinator for website disability-related accommodations. The Compliance Coordinator has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices and requirements.

Compliance Procedures

The District is working to ensure all website content complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and controlling State laws. In an ongoing effort to continually improve and remediate accessibility issues, the website is regularly scanned to ensure ongoing compliance, and timely changes are made to any inaccessible content if found.

Accessible Documents Policy

The District is committed to providing all documents hosted on the website in an accessible format or making accessible alternatives available.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests in a timely manner. If you need assistance or accommodations while accessing content on this website, please contact our Compliance Coordinator via the form below:

Sign up for updates from Hickory Underground Water Conservation District No. 1