Well Drilling & Pump Repair in McLennan County, TX

Local Help in McLennan County, TX

In McLennan County, a new household well is one of two very different jobs. A deep Trinity Aquifer well, where new domestic wells reported since 2016 have a median depth of about 1,100 feet, or a shallow Brazos River Alluvium well near the river, often under 100 feet. Every well in the county, exempt or not, has to be registered with, and approved by, the Southern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District before drilling. For a well deeper than 100 feet, the exempt-well registration fee is $1,000.

We connect McLennan County owners, from China Spring and Crawford acreage to Moody, Mart and West homesites, with Texas-licensed water well drillers and pump installers who drill the deep Trinity and know where the alluvium is the better option.

McLennan County Service Details

What providers in this area actually see: coverage, common jobs, local pricing factors, and rules worth knowing.

Service Area Notes

Coverage across Waco's rural fringe, China Spring, Crawford, Valley Mills, McGregor, Moody, Lorena, Bruceville-Eddy, West, Mart, Riesel, Axtell, Gholson and Elm Mott.
Routing includes both drilling contractors and licensed pump installers. Texas licenses these separately.
The Southern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District covers McLennan County. Registration and spacing rules apply to exempt household wells too.

Common Jobs in McLennan County

Deep Trinity (Hensell/Hosston) wells for homes and acreage, commonly 1,000+ ft
Shallow Brazos River Alluvium wells near the river
Deep-setting submersible pumps (median pump setting about 840 ft on new wells since 2016) and their replacement
Treatment for high-mineral, high-sodium Trinity water, or nitrate in shallow wells
Spacing variance help for small tracts
Plugging abandoned wells, with the district plugging report

What Drives Pricing Here

Trinity wells here commonly finish around 1,100 ft (TWDB driller reports since 2016). At the calculator's published $25–$65 per foot plus pump, tank and permit, that's an estimated $29,000–$76,000, or about $30,000–$77,000 with the district's $1,000 registration fee. Enter your driller's estimated depth (up to 1,500 ft) in the calculator to price your own well, then add the fee.
Shallow Brazos River Alluvium wells (around 80 ft) estimate at $3,500–$9,700 complete, plus the district's $100 fee for a well under 100 ft, where the alluvium and the district's small-tract rules allow one.
Southern Trinity GCD exempt-well registration is $1,000 for wells over 100 ft and $100 under 100 ft. The calculator doesn't include it; its $200–$500 permit line is a national figure.
Deep pump settings (median about 840 ft on new wells) mean bigger pumps and more drop pipe and wire. Ask for those as separate quote lines.

Permits & Local Rules

Every exempt well must be registered with, and approved in writing by, the Southern Trinity GCD before drilling (Rule 5.601). The fee is $1,000 over 100 ft or $100 under 100 ft, with a notarized form, paid by check or money order. Non-exempt wells need a Well Drilling Permit ($500 or $1,000 application fee).
Exempt household and livestock wells need a tract of more than 10 acres and capacity of no more than 25,000 gallons a day. Brazos River Alluvium wells on 2–10 acres qualify at lower daily limits (Rule 5.501).
New Hensell or Hosston Trinity wells must be 1,000 ft from other wells in the same management zone (Rule 6.103), and every well 50 ft from property lines (Rule 6.101). Variances are available.
The district needs 3 days' notice before drilling. Trinity wells need a geophysical log, and the driller's report is due within 60 days. TDLR-licensed drillers are required, except a landowner drilling on their own land.
Abandoned or deteriorated wells must be plugged by the landowner under 16 TAC §76.104, with a plugging report to the district within 30 days.

Geology & Water Table Notes

Two aquifers: TWDB records 296 Trinity wells and 141 Brazos River Alluvium wells in the county. New domestic wells since 2016 split between a shallow cluster (25th percentile 80 ft) and deep Trinity wells (median 1,100 ft; deepest 2,140 ft).
Trinity water in TWDB samples (1990 and later) is soft but high in dissolved solids (median 670 mg/L) and sodium. 7% of wells sampled were above EPA's arsenic limit, and 2% above its fluoride limit.
In shallow non-Trinity wells, 14 of 39 historic nitrate samples (1940–2020) exceeded EPA's limit, so test before anyone drinks the water, especially infants.

Communities Served

Waco (rural) · China Spring · Crawford · Valley Mills · McGregor · Moody · Lorena · Bruceville-Eddy · West · Mart · Riesel · Axtell · Gholson · Elm Mott

Emergency Response Expectations

No-water calls in McLennan County are routed as urgent. Deep Trinity pump pulls need rigs sized for 800-ft-plus settings, so describe your well depth when you request help.

McLennan County FAQs

How deep are water wells in McLennan County?

It depends on the aquifer. New household wells in the Trinity reported to the Texas Water Development Board since 2016 have a median depth of about 1,100 feet, and some go past 2,000. Wells in the Brazos River Alluvium near the river are often under 100 feet.

How much does it cost to register a well with the Southern Trinity GCD?

$1,000 for a household (exempt) well deeper than 100 feet and $100 for a shallower one, under the district's registration forms revised in November 2025. Every exempt well in McLennan County must be registered and approved before drilling, with a notarized form paid by check or money order. A non-exempt well needs a Well Drilling Permit instead, with a $500 or $1,000 application fee depending on depth.

Why might my small lot not qualify for a Trinity well?

District rules require a new Hensell or Hosston Trinity well to be at least 1,000 feet from other wells in the same management zone, and 50 feet from any property line. On a small tract that may mean a variance application or a shallower aquifer. The household-well exemption itself requires more than 10 acres, except for some alluvium wells on 2–10 acres.

How much does a 1,100-foot well cost?

Our calculator's published per-foot range ($25–$65) plus the approved pump, tank and permit figures put a 1,100-foot well at about $29,000–$76,000. Add the Southern Trinity GCD's $1,000 registration fee for a well over 100 feet, for about $30,000–$77,000. Deep pump settings can add more. A local driller's quote will replace these estimates.

Is Trinity water in McLennan County drinkable?

It's usually soft but high in dissolved minerals and sodium. TWDB samples show some wells with fluoride or arsenic above EPA limits. Test with a TCEQ-certified lab before choosing treatment, and retest every year for bacteria, nitrate, TDS and pH, as CDC recommends.