Is the well water in Erath County salty or brackish?

Generally no. Erath County sits on or near the Trinity outcrop, where the Texas Water Development Board maps the water as predominantly fresh; the brackish part of the Trinity lies farther east (downdip). The usual concern here is hardness, not salt. A standard post-drilling water test covers it.

Which GCD governs water wells in Erath County?

Erath County is within the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (MTGCD), which also covers Bosque, Comanche, and Coryell counties. MTGCD is headquartered in Stephenville. The district was created in 2001 by HB 3665 of the 77th Texas Legislature and operates under Texas Water Code Chapter 36. Current rules were originally adopted May 11, 2004 and were last amended November 13, 2025.

Do I need a permit before drilling a well in Erath County?

Every well in Erath County must be registered with MTGCD under Rule 5.1 before drilling — including exempt domestic and livestock wells. An Operating Permit Application is required on top of registration if the well is estimated to pump more than 17 gallons per minute, or if the tract is 10 acres or less and was not platted before May 11, 2004. Your TDLR-licensed driller will typically handle the paperwork on your behalf.

What is the exempt well rule in MTGCD?

Under MTGCD Rule 5.4, domestic, livestock, and poultry wells on tracts larger than 10 acres that are incapable of producing more than 25,000 gallons per day are excluded from operating permit requirements. On tracts of 10 acres or less, the exemption applies only if the tract was platted before May 11, 2004 (the date MTGCD rules took effect for Erath County and Comanche counties) and has not been further subdivided after that date. Exempt status does not waive the registration requirement under Rule 5.1.

What is the well spacing requirement in Erath County?

Under MTGCD Rule 7.3, all new wells must comply with 16 TAC §76.100 location and completion requirements. Operating Permit spacing under Rule 7.4 is tiered by casing diameter: casing up to 4 inches must be at least 300 feet from existing wells; over 4 to 5 inches, 400 feet; over 5 to 6 inches, 500 feet; over 6 to 7 inches, 600 feet; over 7 to under 8 inches, 700 feet; 8 to under 10 inches, 800 feet; and 10 inches or greater, 1,000 feet. Retail public utility higher-production wells must also sit at least 500 feet from property lines.

How deep are wells typically drilled in Erath County?

Erath County wells generally target the Trinity aquifer. The verified TWDB/MTGCD monitor well south of Stephenville on US Highway 281 (TWDB well number 3155504) is 332 feet deep, completed in the Twin Mountains formation. Actual residential depths vary by location, target Trinity subdivision, casing and completion design, and the driller's findings on your parcel. A licensed driller with Erath County experience will pull nearby TDLR-submitted driller logs to estimate likely depth before quoting your job.

What reports does MTGCD require for my well?

Every well must be registered under Rule 5.1. Certain exempt wells must file monthly production reports by the 5th day of each month under Rule 5.4(a)(3) and (4). Under Rule 13.5, wells subject to metering submit monthly meter readings or logs and provide annual pumpage and transport information no later than February 1. Groundwater transported for use outside the district is subject to a transport fee under Rule 12.1 (currently authorized up to 20 cents per 1,000 gallons, with the maximum allowable rate increasing 3 percent each calendar year starting January 1, 2024) and annual transport reporting by January 15.

What does MTGCD charge for a well permit?

An Operating Permit Application carries a $200 refundable deposit at submission, refunded within 30 days of MTGCD's receipt of the state driller's report. Under Rule 11.6, additional applicable fees set by Board resolution must be received before the application is accepted. MTGCD's current fee schedule is published on middletrinitygcd.org — confirm fees with the district directly before applying.

Erath County Water Well Regulations & Permit Requirements, TX

Name: DFW Well Service
Address: 2222 County Road 340, Gainesville, TX, 76240, US
Telephone: (940) 536-8560

Planning a well in Erath County?

Erath County sits at the headwaters of the Bosque and Leon Rivers in west-central Texas, on or near the Trinity aquifer outcrop. The Stephenville and Dublin areas are where most domestic and ranch wells are completed. Whether you are drilling a new home well, a livestock supply, or replacing a failing system, your regulatory starting point is the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.

Which GCD Governs Erath County?

Erath County is fully within the Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (MTGCD), headquartered in Stephenville. MTGCD covers four counties: Bosque, Comanche, Coryell, and Erath. The district was created in 2001 by HB 3665 of the 77th Texas Legislature and operates under Texas Water Code Chapter 36. MTGCD’s current rules were originally adopted May 11, 2004 and were last amended November 13, 2025.

Permit Process Step-by-Step

Step	Action	Who Is Responsible
1	Hire a TDLR-licensed water well driller	Property owner
2	Submit MTGCD Well Registration Form under Rule 5.1 — required for every well, exempt or not	Licensed driller
3	Submit Operating Permit Application under Rule 5.4 if the well will pump more than 17 gpm, or if the tract is 10 acres or less and not platted before May 11, 2004; pay $200 refundable deposit	Licensed driller
4	Receive MTGCD approval before drilling begins	MTGCD
5	Drill in compliance with permit and Rule 7.4 spacing requirements	Licensed driller
6	File state driller’s report with TDLR within 60 days of completion	Licensed driller
7	If metered, submit monthly readings and annual pumpage report by February 1 (Rule 13.5)	Property owner / operator

Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Wells in Erath County

MTGCD’s exempt well rule is structured differently from the Upper Trinity, Northern Trinity, and Prairielands districts to the north and east. Under Rule 5.4:

Domestic, livestock, and poultry wells on tracts larger than 10 acres that are incapable of producing more than 25,000 gallons per day are excluded from operating permit requirements.
On tracts of 10 acres or less, the same exemption applies only if the tract was platted before May 11, 2004 (the date MTGCD rules took effect for Erath County and Comanche counties) and has not been further subdivided after that date.

Two things to keep straight:

Exempt does not mean unregistered. Every well in MTGCD — exempt or not — must be registered under Rule 5.1.
MTGCD operationalizes the rule through its Permits and Forms page: if your well is estimated to pump more than 17 gpm, you need an Operating Permit Application regardless of tract size. This is MTGCD’s own threshold and is distinct from the 17.36 gpm capacity-based exempt rules used by GCDs to the north.

Non-exempt wells (commercial, irrigation, retail public utility, or high-volume production) are also subject to MTGCD production limits under Rule 3.2: 3 acre-feet per contiguous acre per year for non-retail public utilities, with retail public utilities allowed up to 6 acre-feet per contiguous acre per year when Rule 7.4(a) and (d) spacing conditions are met.

Erath County Geology & Typical Well Depths

Erath County is a Trinity outcrop and near-outcrop county. Wells generally target the Trinity aquifer, which here includes Paluxy, Glen Rose, and Twin Mountains, plus the Travis Peak members (Hensell, Pearsall, Hosston) and the Antlers Formation where the Glen Rose thins and the Paluxy and Twin Mountains coalesce. MTGCD’s planning tables and TWDB monitoring records use different naming conventions for the same rock — your driller and the MTGCD permit may refer to the same interval as “Twin Mountains” in TWDB Water Data and “Twin Mountains (Pearsall/Hosston)” in MTGCD’s monitor well records.

The verified anchor for Erath County depth is the TWDB monitor well south of Stephenville on US Highway 281 (TWDB well 3155504), which is 332 feet deep, completed in Twin Mountains, unconfined, with a continuous water-level record since February 2000. Actual residential well depths vary by location relative to the Glen Rose pinch-out, target Trinity subdivision, casing design, and the driller’s findings on your parcel. Ask your driller to pull nearby TDLR-submitted driller logs before quoting depth.

Well Spacing in Erath County

MTGCD applies two layers of spacing:

Rule 7.3 requires all new exempt or non-exempt wells to comply with 16 TAC §76.100 state location and completion requirements (separations from septic systems, livestock yards, surface contamination sources, and so on).
Rule 7.4 sets Operating Permit spacing tiered by casing diameter:

Casing diameter	Minimum spacing from existing wells
Up to 4 inches	300 ft
Over 4 to 5 inches	400 ft
Over 5 to 6 inches	500 ft
Over 6 to 7 inches	600 ft
Over 7 to under 8 inches	700 ft
8 to under 10 inches	800 ft
10 inches or greater	1,000 ft

Retail public utility higher-production wells must also sit at least 500 feet from property lines.

Reporting Requirements

All wells: register under Rule 5.1 before drilling.
Exempt wells covered by Rule 5.4(a)(3) and (4): monthly production reports due by the 5th day of each month.
Metered wells (Rule 13.5): monthly meter readings or logs; annual pumpage and transport information furnished no later than February 1.
Transported groundwater (Rule 12.1): annual transport reporting by January 15; transport fee currently authorized up to $0.20 per 1,000 gallons, with the maximum allowable rate increasing 3 percent each calendar year starting January 1, 2024, if approved by the Board after public hearing.

Fees

An Operating Permit Application carries a $200 refundable deposit at submission, refunded within 30 days of MTGCD’s receipt of the state driller’s report. Under Rule 11.6, applications will not be accepted until applicable fees established by Board resolution are received. MTGCD’s current full fee schedule is published on middletrinitygcd.org — check the Permits and Forms page for the current numbers before submitting.

Working With a Licensed Driller

All water wells in Texas must be drilled by a contractor holding a valid TDLR Water Well Driller license. In Erath County, experience with the Trinity aquifer and with MTGCD’s registration and permit forms matters. An experienced driller will review TWDB well logs near your parcel, assess likely depth and yield, handle the MTGCD registration (and the Operating Permit Application if your well is non-exempt or your tract is 10 acres or less), and file the state driller’s report with TDLR after completion.

DFW Well Service (TDLR License #61234 DKMPW) is available to drill throughout Erath County — from Stephenville and Dublin to the rural Bosque River and Leon River corridors. Call us at (940) 536-8560 to discuss your property and get a site-specific estimate.

Erath County sits in the geographic transition between north-central Texas Trinity naming and Hill Country Travis Peak naming. The MTGCD process is straightforward once you know whether your tract qualifies for the Rule 5.4 exemption and which spacing tier applies to your casing diameter. Start there, register every well, and confirm current fees on middletrinitygcd.org before applying.

Planning a well in Erath?