• The approximately $3 million contract calls for drilling and testing between two and four permanent public water-supply wells roughly 10 miles north of Greenbelt Reservoir.
• The project is part of a broader groundwater development effort estimated at $18 million, which includes new production wells and infrastructure to deliver that water to the authority's existing system.

The need for additional supply is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

During an April public meeting, Greenbelt officials discussed the project as the reservoir hovered around 7% to 8% capacity. General Manager Bobbie Kidd reported that the authority had already completed one well, four exploratory test holes and access roads within the proposed wellfield.

Testing the Ogallala Before Committing to Four Wells

The North Well Field is designed to develop groundwater from the Ogallala AquiferThe permanent well designs follow an investigation and aquifer-testing program completed in 2025, including installation of Well No. 4.

Rather than committing immediately to all four production wells, Greenbelt has structured the construction program around the results of its first two wells.

According to the technical specifications, the contractor will initially drill and test Wells No. 3 and No. 5. The authority may then decide whether to proceed with Wells No. 1 and No. 2, depending on how much water the first two wells can reliably produce.

Image courtesy / USGS

Early Results Show Promise, but Water Supply Remains a Concern

The authority has already seen encouraging results from its exploratory work.

During the April public meeting, Kidd reported that one completed well produced 500 gallons per minute during a 36-hour pumping test. Officials believed the well might eventually be capable of producing as much as 3,000 gallons per minute, although that higher rate had not been demonstrated by the reported test.

The difference matters. A well's short-term production rate does not necessarily establish how much water it can sustainably deliver over years of operation.

In September, Greenbelt representative Stacy Henry told KFDX/KJTL that the authority might ultimately need only three or four wells.

“We tested five wells, but we’re probably going to bring in four or maybe just three; they're really strong wells.”

Henry said the authority's planned groundwater supply would be approximately 905 million gallons annually, compared with about 801 million gallons used in 2025.

The urgency is apparent in the reservoir numbers. By September, Greenbelt Reservoir had fallen to approximately 4.8% capacity, according to the same report. Groundwater was already supplying roughly two-thirds of the authority's water at that time.

Even with promising test results, the project faces a lengthy construction and approval process.

The drilling contract is expected to receive partial funding through the Texas Water Development Board, bringing additional procurement, wage and domestic-material requirements.

At the April meeting, Greenbelt Board Chairman Phillip Self acknowledged the frustration surrounding the project's progress.

“No one is happy. Freese & Nichols isn’t happy. We’re not happy.”

The broader project also requires transmission infrastructure to connect the new wells to the existing water system. As of September, officials were targeting fall 2027 for completion of the overall project, although that schedule remained subject to change.

The drilling solicitation's bid deadline scheduled for Oct. 8 has passed, and an award has not been confirmed in the reviewed sources.