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How deep are water wells in Harper, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Harper, Texas are typically 210 to 345 feet deep (median 265 ft, 237 wells drilled in the last 10 years). No single layer dominates: 38% draw from the Edwards Group, 37% from the Upper Trinity and 25% from the Middle Trinity, according to the state's Hill Country Trinity model (TWDB). Estimated cost of a complete well at the median depth: $9,000 to $22,500.

Updated every day from Texas Water Development Board driller reports. Last update: November 11, 2026, using the state file of November 10, 2026.

See the wells and layers at an exact pointGillespie County
What is under Harper, TexasUnderground column at the center of Harper: median well 265 ft, middle half 210 to 345 ft, water at 158 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Edwards Group: 0 to 111 ftEdwards GroupUpper Trinity: 111 to 268 ftUpper TrinityMiddle Trinity: 268 to 605 ftMiddle Trinitycontinues to 605 ft0200400600ftGround level · 2,031 ft above sea levelMedian well: 265 ftWater standing in the well from 158 ftWater level158 ftMiddle half210–345 ftMedian well265 ft

Under Harper, Gillespie County

Layers at the center of Harper from TWDB's Hill Country Trinity model (1 mile cells), at true depth scale. The well and the water are the median of 237 real wells.

Home wells in and around Harper

Each dot is a home well from a state driller report, colored by depth. Tap one for its details and official report. Tap an empty spot to see what is under that point.

See underground

Well depth (ft)

  • <100
  • 100
  • 200
  • 300
  • 400
  • 600
  • 800+

Dashed line: Harper and about 2 miles around it

Key figures

Typical depth (middle half)
210 to 345 feet
Median depth
265 feet
Deepest 10% are past
554 feet
Water level (median)
158 feet
198 wells
Yield (median)
15 gpm
194 wells, gallons per minute
Wells used
237
In the last 10 years
Inside the city limits
301
the rest within 2 miles
All years on file
579
median 265 ft, since 2001
Confidence
Standard (30 or more wells)

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 158 feet below the surface (198 wells).

What is under Harper, TexasUnderground column at the center of Harper: median well 265 ft, middle half 210 to 345 ft, water at 158 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Edwards Group: 0 to 111 ftEdwards GroupUpper Trinity: 111 to 268 ftUpper TrinityMiddle Trinity: 268 to 605 ftMiddle Trinitycontinues to 605 ft0200400600ftGround level · 2,031 ft above sea levelMedian well: 265 ftWater standing in the well from 158 ftWater level158 ftMiddle half210–345 ftMedian well265 ft
Layers at the center of Harper from TWDB's Hill Country Trinity model (1 mile cells), at true depth scale. The well and the water are the median of 237 real wells.

Which formation do wells in Harper draw from?

No single layer dominates: 38% draw from the Edwards Group, 37% from the Upper Trinity and 25% from the Middle Trinity, according to the state's Hill Country Trinity model (TWDB).

The bottom of the hole tells a different story: 66% reach the Upper Trinity, although only 37% take their water from it. Many drillers go past the producing layer to leave a reserve.

Layer (state's model)ShareWellsTypical depth (ft)
Edwards Group38%79185–260
Upper Trinity37%78211–305
Middle Trinity25%52420–692

For 89% of these wells the report says where the water enters and we use the middle of that interval; for the rest we use the bottom of the hole, which tends to read one layer too deep.

The layers under the center of Harper

From the state's model, at 2,031 feet above sea level. These are the model's depths at that one point, not those of any particular lot.

Depths in feet below ground.
Layer (state's model)Top (ft)Bottom (ft)Thickness (ft)
Edwards Grouplimestone0111111
Upper Trinitylimestone and marl111268156
Middle Trinitylimestone and sand268605337

Depth over time

Home well depth in and around Harper has not changed meaningfully in 20 years: the median was 280 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 285 feet in 2021 to 2025 (a difference under 10% or within the margin of error).

PeriodMedian depth (ft)Wells
2001–2005260129
2006–201028096
2011–201528096
2016–202026091
2021–2025285153
202627014

What a well costs in Harper

At the median depth for Harper (265 feet), a complete home well would cost roughly $9,000 to $22,500: $25 to $60 per foot for drilling, casing and seal, plus $2,500 to $6,500 for the pump, pressure tank, controls and hookup at the well. Across the whole middle half of depths (210 to 345 feet) the range runs from $8,000 to $27,000. This is TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas prices, not a quote, and it leaves out trenching and the line to the house. Get prices from at least two licensed drillers.

Where it sits

Nearby places

Median depth of home wells in each place.

All Texas cities and towns

Common questions

How deep do you have to drill a well in Harper, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Harper, Texas are typically 210 to 345 feet deep (median 265 ft, 237 wells drilled in the last 10 years). One in ten goes past 554 feet. The depth a given tract needs depends on where it sits and what layers the driller hits.

What aquifer or formation do wells in Harper draw from?

No single layer dominates: 38% draw from the Edwards Group, 37% from the Upper Trinity and 25% from the Middle Trinity, according to the state's Hill Country Trinity model (TWDB). This is an estimate from the state's regional model, not a survey of the lot.

How much does a water well cost in Harper?

At the median depth (265 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $9,000 to $22,500, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

How deep is the water in Harper?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 158 feet below the surface (198 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Harper?

Harper is inside the Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District. Groundwater conservation districts in Texas can require registering or permitting a new well, keeping set distances from property lines and other wells, and paying fees. Rules differ from district to district: ask the district before drilling.

How these numbers are made

We count new and replacement domestic (home) wells whose coordinates fall inside the place boundary or within 2 miles of it. We use the last 10 years when there are at least 30 wells; otherwise all since 2001. The median is the middle well and the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

To tell which layer a well draws from, we take the ground elevation at its location, subtract the depth of the interval where water enters (or the bottom of the hole when the report does not give one) and see which layer of the state's model that point falls in.

For 89% of these wells the report says where the water enters and we use the middle of that interval; for the rest we use the bottom of the hole, which tends to read one layer too deep.

How well it works: In 2,665 wells in the Texas Hill Country where the State of Texas recorded the aquifer, our estimate of the formation the well draws from names the same layer of the state's model in about 76% of them, and that layer or the one next to it in at least 98%.

  • The layers come from the Texas Water Development Board's Hill Country Trinity model, with 1 mile cells. It is a regional model, not a survey of any lot: between one model point and the next, the real depth of each layer can differ.
  • "Near or below the base of the Trinity" means the well reaches the bottom of the model or passes it, often by tens of feet. Older rock that the model does not include may lie there.
  • We never use the model's water levels. The water level on this page is the one each driller measured when the well was finished.

These are depths of real wells drilled nearby, not a promise about any property. Groundwater can change over short distances and with drought. A licensed water well driller can tell you what to expect on a specific tract.

Read the full methodology · Download the data (CSV, CC BY 4.0)

How to cite

TerraFunded (2026). Texas Well Atlas: Underground. From Texas Water Development Board driller reports and groundwater availability models (data as of November 10, 2026). https://terrafunded.com/wells/places/harper-tx. License CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24126380.

Sources