Well Water in Delta County, TX: Testing, Contractors and Rules
About 38 households in Delta County, 2% of the county, rely on a private well. Nobody tests that water unless the owner does.
Most of Delta County is on public water, but an estimated 38 households still rely on a private well. This page covers the rules, labs and licensed contractors that serve them.
Local rules for wells in Delta County
Private wells in Delta County follow Texas's statewide rules, administered by Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. No water test is required by the state when a new well is completed. There is no statewide test requirement when a home is sold, though lenders often ask for one. The cards below show the details and the official sources.
At a glance
No statewide test. The driller must hold a TDLR license, build the well to the 16 TAC Chapter 76 standards (setbacks from septic systems and property lines, cement seal, disinfection) and file a State of Texas Well Report within 60 days. Nobody samples the water unless you do. If your county has a groundwater conservation district, it may require the well to be registered or permitted before drilling; domestic wells on larger tracts are usually exempt from permitting but not from registration.
No statewide requirement. The seller's disclosure notice only says whether the water comes from a well. FHA, VA and USDA loans normally require a bacteria, nitrate and lead sample from an accredited lab before closing, and a few groundwater districts ask for a well inspection when a tract changes hands.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and TCEQ recommend a coliform bacteria test every year and a nitrate test every year, plus a first-time panel of arsenic, fluoride, total dissolved solids, hardness, iron, manganese, sulfate and pH. Add uranium and gross alpha in the Hill Country and the Panhandle, and PFAS near airfields and military bases. Test again after flooding, repairs or any change in taste, color or smell.
The Texas Well Owner Network (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension) runs low-cost screening days around the state, usually $10 to $15 a sample for bacteria, nitrate, arsenic and salinity, with results explained at a follow-up meeting. County and city health department labs listed below sell bacteria tests at cost. The DSHS laboratory in Austin also sells mail-in kits.
Getting your water tested near Delta County
No state-certified lab sits within 40 miles of the center of Delta County. That is common in rural Texas, and the practical answer is a mail-in kit: the lab ships bottles, you sample at the kitchen tap and ship them back cold. The finder below widens the search to the whole state.
No listings yet for this area. Try widening your search.
Licensed well contractors serving Delta County
No licensed contractor lists Delta County as a home base or service area yet. The finder below searches the whole state; most drillers travel several counties for a job.
No listings yet for this area. Try widening your search.
Well depth and water chemistry
Wells in Delta County typically reach 100 to 400 ft in the Ogallala on the High Plains; 200 to 800 ft in the Trinity and Edwards limestones of the Hill Country and North Texas; 100 to 600 ft in the Gulf Coast and Carrizo-Wilcox sands of East and South Texas; shallower along river alluvium feet. What comes up with the water depends on the aquifer, and across Texas the usual suspects are nitrate (high plains, rolling plains, central texas farm country), arsenic (southern high plains. A first full panel tells you which of them apply to your well.
Varies by location. Check the state well record search for logs of nearby wells.
- Nitrate (High Plains
- Rolling Plains
- Central Texas farm country)
- Arsenic (southern High Plains
- Gulf Coast
- Trans-Pecos)
- Fluoride (West Texas and the Panhandle)
- Radium and uranium (Hickory aquifer around the Llano Uplift
- Parts of the Ogallala)
- High total dissolved solids and salinity (West and South Texas)
- Coliform bacteria
- Hardness (Edwards and Trinity limestones)
- Iron and manganese and hydrogen sulfide (East Texas)
- PFAS near military airfields
Neighboring counties: Hopkins County, Lamar County, Fannin County, Hunt County.
What well work costs in Delta County
National ranges from published 2025 to 2026 contractor pricing. Local quotes vary with depth, access and materials.
Questions Delta County well owners ask
How many homes in Delta County are on a well?
About 38, or 2% of households, based on Census housing data and state well surveys. The share is highest outside the towns with public water.
Where is the closest certified lab to Delta County?
There is no certified lab within 40 miles. Use a mail-in kit from a Texas certified lab, or the county health department if it collects samples.
Do I need a permit to drill a well in Delta County?
No statewide test. The driller must hold a TDLR license, build the well to the 16 TAC Chapter 76 standards (setbacks from septic systems and property lines, cement seal, disinfection) and file a State of Texas Well Report within 60 days. Nobody samples the water unless you do. If your county has a groundwater conservation district, it may require the well to be registered or permitted before drilling; domestic wells on larger tracts are usually exempt from permitting but not from registration.
What does a well test cost near Delta County?
A bacteria and nitrate test runs $25 to $75 at most certified labs; a full panel with metals is $150 to $400. Mail-in kits cost about the same as walking in.