City of Temple, UMHB file permits to drill new wells

Killeen Daily Herald
BY ERIC E. GARCIA | TELEGRAM CITY EDITOR
July 7, 2023

A request by the city of Temple to drill for water in eastern Bell County will be considered by a local water conservation board next week.

A hearing on the city’s drilling permit request will be considered Wednesday at a meeting of the Belton-based Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District. The meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Clearwater office at 700 Kennedy Court.

The city’s request is for a new well that would draw water from the Lower Trinity Aquifer for industrial use not to exceed 239-acre feet, of 77,822,380 gallons per year, according to the Clearwater district.

The well would be equipped with a maximum 8-inch pipe with a submersible pump rate not to exceed 800 gallons per minute. The well would be located on a 45.33-acre tract at 4331 Tower Road in Temple, the district said.

The land is owned by the Temple Economic Development Corp., according to the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County. Its assessed value is $659,752.

Adrian Cannady, president and CEO of the Temple EDC, did not immediately return a Telegram phone call on Friday afternoon.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor also seeks to build a new well.

The university is requesting to build a new well that would located on a 28.23-acre tract on the campus at 900 College St. in Belton.

The well would also draw water from the Lower Trinity Aquifer.

“The proposed annual quantity is not to exceed 64.4 acre-feet or 20,984,832 gallons per year total for domestic use,” the permit hearing notice said.

The well would be equipped with a maximum 4-inch column pipe with a submersible pump rate not to exceed 261 gallons per minute, according to the Clearwater district.

The application was handled by Steve Theodore, senior vice president for administration and CEO. He was out of town Friday and could not be reached for comment, a university worker told the Telegram.

Two Bell County landowners will also have their drilling permits considered by Clearwater district.

Belton area resident Kelly Snook is requesting a drilling permit for a new well on a property at 4817 FM 1123 in Bell County.

The well would be completed in the Alluvial Aquifer of the CUWCD eastern management zone and use about 97,755 gallons per year for domestic use.

The well is to be equipped with a maximum 1.25-inch column pipe with a submersible pump rate not to exceed 10 gallons per minute, Clearwater district said.

Ken Baumgardner is seeking to drill a new well on his property at 200 Buckeye Road in Killeen.

His drilling permit request says that the well would use about 123,823 gallons annually for domestic use.

“The new well is to be completed in the Lower Trinity Aquifer of the CUWCD southwest management zone,” the permit notice said. “The well is to be equipped with a maximum 1.25-inch column pipe with a submersible pump rate not to exceed 10 gallons per minute.”