We source our water from the Ellenburger-San Saba aquifer. This aquifer provides relatively good quality water for household use.
We have a network of 3 wells which adequately service approximately 100 households. Our well network will adequately support demand for a forecast of about 200 households under normal rainfall conditions. Drought conditions will quickly impact the availability of our well water because our wells are located on the outer edge of the aquifer.
We treat out water in accordance with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) standard for public water supply systems. We treat the water with chlorine before it is delivered to households.
Filling a new swimming pool with water provided by the DHCWSC is not permitted.
No. Only chlorine gas is used in the purification process.
In 2023, we installed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), or "smart meters", for all members. Please go to https://dhcwsc.org/smart-meters to learn about smart meters, how to register your smart meter, and how to use it. Smart meters provide daily water usage and allow you to set personal water limits so you can automatically be notified or excessive usage or leaks.
Private water wells are used for many purposes in Texas. As a Double Horn resident, you may be interested in drilling a water well for drinking or irrigation water. Indeed, we have residents who have done just that.
If you are considering drilling a private well, it is important to understand the groundwater planning and management guidelines in our area. When siting a new well there are spacing and setback guidelines. For example, a well may not be placed within 100 feet of a septic drain field or leach field.
Under the provision of Chapter 36, Texas Water Code, groundwater conservation districts (GSDs) have the authority to regulate the spacing of water wells, the production from water well, or both. In Double Horn, our regulatory authority is the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District (CTGCD), located in Burnet.
The staff at the CTGCD note that there is not a simple "checklist" approach to drilling a water well, many conditions determine how a well is regulated. They recommend that you contact the CTGCD if you are considering drilling a well. The staff also recommends that you contact a reputable licensed driller who can guide you through the process.
Many of your questions may be answered at the Texas Landowners Association website, https://landassociation.org/water-wells-in-texas/. This site provides an overview of water well regulation, siting, drilling, maintenance, protection, and so forth.
Send an email to DHCWSC@GMAIL.COM and ask to be added to the text message distribution list. Please include your name and mobile phone number. Note that we do not monitor replies to these texts.