Water well permits in the Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District
Drilling a well in Uvalde County? Whether you deal with the county district or the Edwards Aquifer Authority depends on your aquifer. Here is how it works.
Uvalde County is covered by the Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District (UCUWCD). One thing makes Uvalde unusual: the district does not regulate the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer. Edwards wells answer to the separate Edwards Aquifer Authority, while UCUWCD governs the county's other aquifers. Part of doing it right is knowing which one applies, and we do.
For a normal household well into a UCUWCD-regulated aquifer, you register the well before drilling. The district issues a certificate of registration, and only then can the well be drilled. We file it for you.
What you need to know
- Register before you drill. For an exempt domestic well, you submit a registration and the district issues a certificate of registration. The well cannot be drilled until that certificate is in hand.
- Registration is $10 plus a refundable $100 deposit. That is $110 at registration. The $100 deposit comes back once your driller files a complete, accurate well report with the district.
- No acreage rule here. UCUWCD sets no minimum tract size for a domestic well. If you have heard about a 10-acre rule, that applies to the Edwards Aquifer, which UCUWCD does not regulate.
- Plan your setbacks. At least 50 feet from property lines, 100 feet from a septic field or underground storage tank, and 150 feet from livestock yards and similar contamination sources.
- Edwards wells go to the Edwards Aquifer Authority. If your well will tap the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer, the EAA regulates it, not UCUWCD. We confirm which aquifer you are drilling into.
See all Hill Country districts · Permit or just registration? · Wells in Uvalde
Fast facts
- District: Uvalde County UWCD
- Also: Edwards Aquifer Authority (Edwards wells)
- With: San Antonio Water System (SAWS)
- New well: Register before drilling
- Exempt registration: $10 + $100 refundable deposit
- Drought (June 2026): Monitoring based, no mandatory staged cuts on home wells.
District office: (830) 278-8242
We handle the paperworkCall (830) 816-3232We file your district paperwork for you
Registering a well with the Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District before drilling is part of how we do every job in Uvalde County. You drill once and you drill it right, on the record, the way the rules require.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Uvalde County?
For a normal household well, you register it with the Uvalde County Underground Water Conservation District before drilling rather than getting a full permit, as long as it is solely for domestic or livestock use and cannot produce more than 25,000 gallons a day (about 17 gallons per minute). The district issues a certificate, and only then can the well be drilled. We handle the filing.
What does it cost to register a domestic well in Uvalde County?
It is $110 at registration: a $10 nonrefundable fee plus a $100 deposit you get back after your driller files a complete, accurate well report with the district.
Is there a minimum acreage for a well in Uvalde County?
Not for a well UCUWCD regulates. The district sets no minimum tract size for a domestic well. A 10-acre rule you may hear about applies to the Edwards Aquifer, which is regulated by the Edwards Aquifer Authority, not UCUWCD.
How do drought rules affect my Uvalde County well?
UCUWCD runs a monitoring-based drought program rather than mandatory staged cutbacks on domestic wells. The well-known Edwards Aquifer critical-period stage restrictions belong to the Edwards Aquifer Authority and apply to Edwards wells. We can help you plan around current conditions.
Drilling a well in Uvalde County?
We know the UCUWCD rules and we handle the registration. Reach out for a free, no-pressure quote.