Returning of Wells Back into Service

Recent Land Purchase or Leasing

The district field staff have been inspecting all wells within the District that have not been inspected in the past 5 years. Based on these inspections several old wells that were found previously classified as capped and/or abandoned have been brought back into service either as an irrigation well or converted over to a livestock/domestic well on the property.

If you have recently purchased, leased, or inherited farmland where old capped irrigation and/or livestock/domestic wells are located on the property you should visit the district’s interactive map to check current status and the original permitted size or classification of each well on the property.

Before bringing a well back into service, you are required to notify the district, so the classification of the well(s) can be updated; especially if the well is an irrigation well, for annual production reporting requirements. This reclassification process does not have to happen immediately in order for the old well(s) to be inspected, reworked, and checked out if they are going to be cost effective for use. The district can be notified once a satisfactory operational test of the well(s) is complete; then the proper documentation can be filled out based on how the well(s) should be reclassified. Reclassification documents amend the original permit to its new classification, and will fall under the current district rules for groundwater producing.

If you have any questions or concerns you can always contact our office at (806) 935-6401 and ask for Permitting or Compliance Coordinators to assist you with your specific situation or classification documentation process.