Texas
Underground injection wells
Texas underground injection wells
Texas regulates injection wells under the Injection Well Act, Chapter 27 of the Texas Water Code. Every injection well is regulated by either the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or the Railroad Commission of Texas. Which agency holds the record depends on the class of well.
In a Phase I ESA
ASTM E1527-21 does not name injection well lists among its standard record sources. An injection well at or near a property still says something about how waste or fluids were handled there, and the class tells you what and where to look.
| Class | What TCEQ says it is | Regulated by |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | Used for deep injection | TCEQ. The Railroad Commission reviews and comments on the applications. |
| Class II | Related to energy byproducts | Railroad Commission |
| Class III | Used to extract minerals other than oil and gas | TCEQ or the Railroad Commission, depending on the type of well |
| Class IV | Generally banned, but may be authorized in certain environmental cleanup operations | TCEQ or the EPA |
| Class V | Used for many different activities | TCEQ or the Railroad Commission, depending on the type of well |
Three points follow.
- Look for Class II wells at the Railroad Commission. Class II wells are regulated by the Railroad Commission, so a TCEQ search does not answer for them.
- A Class IV well signals a cleanup. TCEQ says these wells are generally banned and allowed only in special circumstances involving environmental cleanups. Finding one is a reason to look for the cleanup record it belongs to.
- Class V is broad. Among the wells TCEQ regulates is any well or similar apparatus that releases a liquid into or above an underground source of drinking water. Read what the well was used for.
The act's definition of an injection well leaves out surface pits, surface excavations and natural depressions used for disposal. TCEQ's permits page also covers Class VI wells, for which it issues a letter of determination for Railroad Commission permit applications.
Where to look a site up
- TCEQ's Central Registry query holds its injection well permit information. TCEQ says that information includes the permit status, the well status, the well location and the waste type, and it publishes search instructions on its Underground Injection Control Permits page.
- The same page links pending permit applications.
- For Class II wells, go to the Railroad Commission of Texas.
Getting the file
TCEQ offers three routes to its records: TCEQ Records Online for records already scanned, an email to the Central File Room (cfrreq@tceq.texas.gov) to view or copy paper and microform records, and a Public Information Request for records that are not available through the file room or that contain confidential information.
Sources
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality pages, read September 30, 2026:
- Injection Wells: Am I Regulated?, last modified March 6, 2026.
- Underground Injection Control Permits, last modified July 28, 2026.
- Waste Management Permit Applications, Permits, Registrations, and Facilities, last modified July 17, 2026.
- Access Records from our Central File Room, last modified July 17, 2026.