Bolthole Index › Water rights › Texas Texas · off-grid water rights
Water rights in Texas Whether a new off-grid home can legally get its own water in Texas: the state well and water-rights rules, then the 38 counties where a specific groundwater basin adds a catch — each cited to the state water agency.
Texas water rules
Household well Exempt up to a limit Texas groundwater is governed by the rule of capture; a Groundwater Conservation District must exempt qualifying domestic/livestock wells and may not restrict their production, but well registration and spacing rules can still apply and the exemption does not cover wells serving a platted subdivision.
Limit: Domestic/livestock well exempt from GCD production permitting if on a tract >10 acres AND incapable of producing >25,000 gal/day (Tex. Water Code §36.117)
Texas Water Code §36.117 / TWDB ↗ Greywater reuse Rainwater harvesting encouraged Sales-tax exemption; city rebates (Austin ≤$5,000); HOAs can't ban.
NCSL ↗ Water rights 38 constrained counties in Texas
Over-appropriated Galveston County Harris-Galveston Subsidence District 29 Over-appropriated Harris County Harris-Galveston Subsidence District 28 Actively managed Bandera County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 61 Actively managed Bexar County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 29 Actively managed Blanco County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 64 Actively managed Bosque County Central Texas Trinity Aquifer Priority Groundwater Management Area 69 Actively managed Briscoe County Briscoe, Hale & Swisher Counties Priority Groundwater Management Area 66 Actively managed Collin County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 28 Actively managed Comal County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 44 Actively managed Cooke County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 58 Actively managed Coryell County Central Texas Trinity Aquifer Priority Groundwater Management Area 56 Actively managed Dallam County Dallam County Priority Groundwater Management Area 62 Actively managed Dallas County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 20 Actively managed Denton County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 20 Actively managed El Paso County El Paso County Priority Groundwater Management Area 29 Actively managed Ellis County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 44 Actively managed Fannin County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 66 Actively managed Fort Bend County Fort Bend Subsidence District 29 Actively managed Gillespie County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 68 Actively managed Grayson County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 58 Actively managed Hale County Briscoe, Hale & Swisher Counties Priority Groundwater Management Area 50 Actively managed Hays County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 44 Actively managed Hill County Central Texas Trinity Aquifer Priority Groundwater Management Area 61 Actively managed Hood County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 58 Actively managed Johnson County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 44 Actively managed Kendall County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 56 Actively managed Kerr County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 65 Actively managed McLennan County Central Texas Trinity Aquifer Priority Groundwater Management Area 29 Actively managed Midland County Reagan, Upton & Midland Counties Priority Groundwater Management Area 44 Actively managed Montague County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 66 Actively managed Parker County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 44 Actively managed Reagan County Reagan, Upton & Midland Counties Priority Groundwater Management Area 68 Actively managed Somervell County Central Texas Trinity Aquifer Priority Groundwater Management Area 65 Actively managed Swisher County Briscoe, Hale & Swisher Counties Priority Groundwater Management Area 55 Actively managed Tarrant County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 20 Actively managed Travis County Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area 29 Actively managed Upton County Reagan, Upton & Midland Counties Priority Groundwater Management Area 62 Actively managed Wise County North-Central Texas Trinity & Woodbine Aquifers Priority Groundwater Management Area 58 The Bolthole Index Letter One email a week: the best counties to live off-grid, rule changes that matter, and Texas water-rule changes as basins close. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring Texas See the full Texas county ranking , compare states on the water-rights hub , or read how water access is scored . Physical water is dimmed — never erased — where a county sits in one of these basins, household-first.
General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.