Grants for Leaking Water Wells

Grant Program Applicability

This program will provide grants to qualifying Groundwater Conservation Districts (GCDs) to offset the costs of permanently plugging leaking water wells. The district must be in a county that meets both of these criteria:

• Population of 16,000 or less.
• Adjacent to at least seven counties with a population of less than 15,000.

Project Eligibility

TCEQ will establish the criteria for prioritizing projects that are eligible. See Rulemaking: Get Involved below.

Rulemaking: Get Involved

TCEQ is seeking input on rules to establish and administer this program. The rulemaking process will establish criteria for prioritizing projects that may be eligible for a grant and ensuring that water wells are permanently plugged.

To create the program, House Bill 4256 amended Texas Water Code (TWC), Chapter 28 with a new Subchapter E (88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023). TCEQ is also proposing a new chapter in Title 30, Texas Administrative Code (30 TAC) – Chapter 353 – to implement this statute.

• TWC, Chapter 28, Subchapter E, Section 28.101 through 28.107
• To find the status of this rule proposal and associated documents go to the TCEQ Commissioners' Integrated Database. (Select Search One. Enter the TCEQ Docket Number - 2024-1676-RUL – into Step Two and click on the blue Search button.)
• The rule proposal was discussed at a TCEQ Commission meeting on December 18, 2024.
• For dates of public comment periods, public hearings, rule adoption, and more, see the TCEQ Rule Projects. (Select Leaking Water Wells Grant Program in the dropdown menu.)

Rulemaking Schedule

Below is the anticipated schedule for this rulemaking:

• Proposal date: December 18, 2024
• Texas Register Proposal Date: January 3, 2025
• Public hearing date: January 29, 2025
• Public comment period: January 3, 2025 to February 4, 2025
• Adoption date: June 6, 2025