Prairie Lands GCD presents 2024 annual report; Ellis County uses about 74% of permitted groundwater allocation

Representatives from the Prairie Lands Groundwater Conservation District presented the district’s 2024 annual report to the Ellis County Commissioners Court on July 22, summarizing well registrations, permitted allocations, new programs and outreach efforts.

Key points from the presentation: The district covers four counties; districtwide well registrations totaled 318 (including 193 new registrations reported over the prior period). About 10% of registered wells in the district are in Ellis County; staff said Ellis County has seen roughly 20–30 registrations per year and 20 registrations year-to-date for 2025.

Permitted allocation versus actual use: The district reported that total permitted allocations across the district are about 9.7 billion gallons; Ellis County’s permitted allocation was stated at roughly 4.2 billion gallons. Reported usage in Ellis County is about 3.1 billion gallons for the period referenced, meaning county use equals roughly 74% of its permitted allocation, according to the district presenters. District staff noted that permitted allocations are often higher than current production because allocations can reflect historical high‑use years.

Sector use and trends: Public water supply and domestic uses account for the majority of groundwater production in Ellis County. Industrial manufacturing is also a prominent groundwater user; the district noted several high‑capacity wells and large industrial permit holders in Ellis County. District staff said Ellis County wells can yield significantly higher gallons‑per‑minute than neighboring counties, which influences permitted allocations and production patterns.

New and ongoing efforts: The district adopted a new five‑year management plan in 2024 (covering 2024–2029) and concluded work on a groundwater availability model used for planning and scenario analysis. The district has implemented water‑loss audits for public water suppliers to better document and address leakage. It also launched a rainwater‑harvesting rebate program for domestic users (a $1 per gallon rebate up to 500 gallons per installation was described) and is exploring larger grant‑funded installations on public buildings to increase public awareness; staff said the district has set a meeting with the Ellis County Rural Heritage Farm to explore site options.

Outreach and regulatory coordination: District staff described outreach with realtors and the Texas Real Estate Commission after property buyers and sellers reported confusion about groundwater rights and whether wells could be drilled on small lots. The district also described monitoring of Railroad Commission filings for deep injection or other projects that could cross aquifers; staff said the district uses outside services to review Railroad Commission records and that the district’s law firm assists with technical review and, when warranted, litigation or rule advocacy.

Questions and concerns: Commissioners asked about deeper drilling, brackish water possibilities and whether more aggressive deep drilling could be used to expand supply; district staff said deeper drilling is possible but more costly, water quality often declines with depth and that brackish or injection projects would require separate treatment and regulatory review. Staff noted that if injection or other industrial drilling projects arise, they will attempt to identify notice and comment opportunities through Railroad Commission and TCEQ filings and that outside monitoring services are employed to detect filings quickly.

No action was required by the commissioners; the presentation was received for the record.