Groundwater Rules for New Travis County Subdivisions

The five-acre and three-acre numbers heard around western Travis County come from water rules for new subdivisions. They are not a minimum size for every old lot or every private well.

If each new lot will have its own well, Chapter 482 will usually call for at least five acres per lot. If one groundwater system will serve the new lots, each lot will usually need at least three acres. The whole tract can have no more than one lot for each four acres. The county also asks for proof that the water supply can work and stay clean.

An Edwards Aquifer zone may add a TCEQ review. Use the state map as a first screen, not a permit answer. Take the lot plan and water plan to the county and the state office that covers the land.