Drilling a water well in Culberson County requires a permit

Rural Culberson County is dry country, so a well is not a small detail. The Capitan Reef Complex is a minor aquifer in Culberson County and nearby Far West Texas counties. The water sits in old reef rock. It moves through cracks and natural cavities.

The local gatekeeper is the Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District. It exists to set policy and regulate the withdrawal and use of groundwater inside its boundaries.

Talk to the district before planning a new well. Its Applications page has forms for exempt well registration, exempt drilling permits, and non-exempt drilling applications. That is a quiet but important land-buying step where the water comes from below the ground.