NewsDrop-Oct_Nov-2025

REGULATORY AFFAIRS

By: Roger Andrade Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs BY ASSESSING WELL CONDITIONS SAFEGUARDING THE EDWARDS AQUIFER

In the case of groundwater wells, what goes down eventually comes up. That’s why locating, assessing, and helping well owners develop a plan for addressing abandoned or deteriorated wells is a priority for EAA. Abandoned and deteriorated wells can potentially pose a risk to Edwards Aquifer water quality, because often times they are eroded and in poor condition. At our agency, staff from the Regulatory Affairs Department make great efforts to help provide critical guidance to affected property owners and their contractors when it comes to identifying the condition of a well. Laurel Torres, Groundwater Regulation Manager for the EAA, oversees the team responsible for identifying abandoned wells and properly notifying property owners of any well issues on their properties. Her team members, Mariah Bonham, Richard Gonzalez, Joe Gonzales, and Jeff Robinson, conduct extensive research regarding well information. It is through the collaborative support between a well owner and our agency that we are able to

provide background knowledge regarding their abandoned well, what classifies a well as abandoned, and the steps they need to go through to properly resolve their abandoned well issues. Staff have played significant roles in successfully influencing and guiding property owners towards the proper remediation of wells through various pro cesses. This ultimately leads to a property owner and their contractors adher ing to regulatory requirements for continued use or applying for EAA Plugging or Capping permits. Over the past 7 years we have found great success in working side by side with well owners and their contractors and 426 aban doned Edwards Aquifer well issues have been resolved.

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