Drilling a Water Well? You Need a Permit First.

Terrell County gets only about 15 inches of rain per year. There is no public water utility in most of the county's rural areas. If you own land outside of town, you will likely rely on a water well. The Terrell County Groundwater Conservation District (GCD) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2011 to manage those underground water resources.

Before you drill a new well, you generally need a permit from the district. The district also has a management plan, last approved in 2023, that sets rules for how much groundwater can be used. Contact the district through the county website at www.co.terrell.tx.us. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) lists all active groundwater conservation districts and links to their management plans.