Texas Disposal Wells

Texas Disposal Wells

This map shows more than 7,000 sites around Texas where wastewater, often from hydraulic fracturing operations, is being disposed of. Such wastewater disposal has surged statewide with the spread of fracking, because it's cheaper to bury the water in disposal wells than to recycle it. Use the "Find Me" button to zoom in to your location.

The data used in this map comes from the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates oil and gas production. This map visualizes active wells for disposal into "non-productive" and "productive zones." Black dots represent each individual well and are viewable as you zoom in.

Read more about disposal wells, or see other articles in the series on fracking and water.

Number of Wells
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
  • 10
  • 15+