Yes, if it is abandoned or deteriorated. Under Texas Occupations Code §1901.255, a landowner must plug the well or bring it into compliance within 180 days of learning about it. A well used for monitoring, or one you intend to keep using, must be capped to state standards instead.
24/7 · Weatherford & Parker County
Abandoned Well Plugging in Parker County, TX
Texas law gives a landowner 180 days to plug an abandoned or deteriorated well once they know about it. We clear it, seal it to state standards and file the report.
(817) 382-3840 · Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
Call if you see
- Old well or hand-dug cistern no longer in use
- Open or rotted casing in a pasture
- Replacement well drilled; the old one still open
- Buyer's inspector found an unused well
- Casing sinking, cracked or below grade
Last updated
Water Well Drilling Weatherford handles abandoned well plugging for landowners across Parker County. The county has a lot of old wells. Farms and ranches that went back a century or more used hand-dug wells and early drilled wells, and many were left in place when a new well went in or the property was split. When a well is no longer in use, Texas law treats it as the landowner’s responsibility.
The rule in plain terms
Under Texas Occupations Code §1901.255, a landowner who learns of an abandoned or deteriorated well must plug it, or bring it into compliance, within 180 days. The plugging must meet TDLR’s standard in 16 TAC §76.104. If the landowner does the work, they file a State of Texas Plugging Report within 30 days. If a licensed driller or pump installer does it, the contractor files it. News reports in 2022, citing state figures, put the number of abandoned or deteriorated wells in Texas at 150,000 or more.
How a well is plugged
- Clear the hole. Old pumps, drop pipe, wire, rope and fallen debris come out. Sealing material can’t do its job around a pump stuck in the casing.
- Measure. Depth and diameter set how much material the plug takes. Hand-dug wells can be several feet across.
- Seal. Approved sealing material goes in to the standard’s specification, so no vertical path is left for surface water.
- Finish. The casing is cut off below grade, the surface is restored, and the report is filed.
When plugging comes up
- Property sales. Inspectors and buyers flag open wells, and plugging before listing avoids a last-minute credit. See water well inspection.
- After a new well. When a new well replaces an old one, the old well should be plugged, not left capped and forgotten.
- Subdividing land. An old well near a new lot line can complicate spacing for the new owner’s well.
What's included on every abandoned well plugging call
- Site visit to identify the well: drilled, driven or hand-dug
- Records search for the original State Well Report
- Pump, pipe, wire and debris removed from the hole
- Depth and diameter measured to size the sealing material
- Well filled with approved sealing material to state standards
- Casing cut below grade and surface restored
- State plugging report filed and a copy given to you
- District notified where the well was registered
Related resources for abandoned well plugging
Abandoned Well Plugging: three ways it gets done
| Item | Cover it | Fill with dirt and rock | Plug to state standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stops contamination | No; surface water still reaches the aquifer | No; loose fill lets water through | Yes; sealing material blocks the vertical path |
| Safety | Cover rots or gets moved | Fill settles and reopens a hole | Casing cut below grade and surface restored |
| Legal compliance | No | No | Meets §1901.255 and §76.104, with the report filed |
| Property sale | Flagged by inspectors | Flagged by inspectors | Plugging report on file to show buyers |
How abandoned well plugging works, start to finish
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Find and identify
We locate the well, identify its type and look up any existing records for depth and casing.
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Clear the hole
Old pump equipment, pipe, wire and debris come out so the sealing material reaches the bottom.
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Seal to standard
The well is filled with approved material per 16 TAC §76.104, and the casing is cut off below grade.
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File the report
The plugging report is filed with the state within 30 days, and you keep a copy for your property records.
Need abandoned well plugging in Weatherford or Parker County?
A person answers 24/7 and prices the job before work starts.
Abandoned Well Plugging questions
Do I have to plug an old well on my property in Texas?
Can I plug the well myself?
A landowner can plug a well on their own property, but it must be done to TDLR's plugging standards (16 TAC §76.104), and a State of Texas Plugging Report must be filed within 30 days. Most owners hire a licensed driller or pump installer, because pulling old equipment and placing sealing material correctly takes a rig or a pump hoist.
How much does it cost to plug an abandoned well?
There is no statewide per-foot rate. The cost depends on the well's depth and diameter, whether equipment is stuck in the hole, and whether it is drilled or hand-dug. Some groundwater districts run cost-share programs, so we check what's available before quoting.
Why does an old well matter if nobody uses it?
An open well is a direct path for surface water, fertilizer and animal waste to reach the aquifer your neighbors drink from. It's also a fall hazard for children and livestock. State estimates reported in 2022 put the number of abandoned or deteriorated wells in Texas at 150,000 or more.
Do you answer after hours and on weekends?
Yes. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After-hours work is priced before we roll, and if the fix can safely wait until morning we will tell you so.
Sources
- TDLR, keep an eye out for abandoned or deteriorated water wells (2025)
- TCEQ RG-347, Landowner's Guide to Plugging Abandoned Water Wells
- ConchoValleyHomepage, Texas could have at least 150,000 abandoned or deteriorated water wells (2022)
- Texas Groundwater Protection Committee, abandoned wells and cost-share programs
Related well services
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Water Well Inspection
Pre-purchase well inspections for Parker County property: flow and pressure test, equipment condition, records check and a bacteria sample.
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Residential Well Drilling
New household wells for Parker County acreage: siting, district registration, drilling, casing, grout and a pump sized to the hole.
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Well Deepening
When the water level drops below the pump, we compare deepening the existing hole against drilling a new one.
Request abandoned well plugging
Tell us what the well is doing and where it is. Not urgent? We'll call back first thing.
Faster by phone, any hour: (817) 382-3840