Notice on Exempt Water Wells

March 13, 2019 - At last night’s Board meeting, the District received a number of public comments regarding information being circulated that the District plans to begin taxing private water well owners.  To be clear, this information is not being circulated by the District and could not be further from the truth.  As referenced in Chapter 36.117 of the Texas Water Code and District Rule 3.8 on Exempt Well Status, if you own a well to be “used solely for domestic use or for providing water for livestock or poultry on a tract of land larger than 10 acres that is incapable of producing more than 25,000 gallons of groundwater a day…” you are considered to be an exempt water well owner.  As an exempt water well owner, you are exempt from 1) permitting your well; 2) metering your well; and 3) paying water use fees to the District.  The only requirement of an exempt well owner is that they register their well with the District by submitting a Well Registration form and upon completion of the well, submit a State of Texas Well Report. See District Rule 3.9.  In other words, the District is prohibited by statute from charging an exempt well owner a water use fee.  The District’s Board of Directors wishes to make it very clear that the District does not charge, and has no plans to start charging, exempt water well owners a water use fee.  

For additional information, please reference the District’s Permitting and Management & Rules pages.

LSGCD Board to Hold Public Hearing on Re-Adoption of District Management Plan

The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District’s Board of Directors will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the District’s office, and may take action on the proposed re-adoption of the District Management Plan as required by Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code and Chapter 356 of the Texas Water Development Board’s rules contained in Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code.

To view the press release in its entirety, please click here.

To view the “Draft Management Plan for Public Comment” that the Board will consider, please click here.

LSGCD Board Approves Settlement Ending Litigation

The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors approved execution of a Compromise and Settlement Agreement with the City of Conroe, Quadvest, L.P., and other Utilities that would end the protracted litigation over the validity of a provision in the District’s Regulatory Plan requiring Large Volume Groundwater Users (“LVGU”) to reduce their groundwater production by thirty-percent (30%).

The terms of the Compromise and Settlement Agreement remained confidential and only became effective if approved by all parties. When the City and Utilities approved the Compromise and Settlement Agreement on January 24, 2019, the agreement became official.

To view the Press Release in its entirety click here.