Well Permits and Inspections

Notice of Well Permit Fee Increase Effective January 1, 2026

The Valley Water Well Ordinance Program is updating its permit and inspection fee schedule, with new rates taking effect on January 1, 2026. These fee increases are the first since 2017 and are designed to cover the actual costs of well permitting and inspection services, aiming to protect groundwater resources that serve the communities of Santa Clara County.
Starting January 1, 2026, Well Construction, Well Destruction, Well Reconstruction, Exploratory Boring, and Standby Permits will be subject to the revised fees. Current fees will remain in place through December 31, 2025. Additional surcharges for inspection services are also outlined below.
An additional weekday inspection surcharge may be applied when inspectors are required to conduct additional inspections at the request of the permittee or the site is not ready.
Surcharges for weekend or holiday inspections will also apply when inspections are conducted during those times. These surcharges are in addition to the usual permit fee and help cover the costs of having inspectors work during weekends or holidays. The updated fee schedule can be found in the attachments at the bottom of this webpage.
Valley Water remains committed to delivering high-quality service and maintaining the long-term health of our groundwater basins. We appreciate your understanding as we implement these essential updates.
For more information or questions about well permitting, please contact Valley Water’s Well Ordinance Program at (408) 630-2660.
 

Well Permit Applications are Going Paperless in 2026!  

Starting February 1st, 2026, the Well Permitting Unit will no longer accept paper applications. All well permit applications must be submitted through our online permitting system, CityWorks. We recommend creating an account and begin submitting your well permit applications online.

Access the CityWorks Public Portal here:
https://app03.cityworksonline.com/CLIENT_SantaClaraValleyWaterCA-Public
Once you enter the portal, set up an account. This account should be in the name of the individual applying for the permit, not the business or organization.

A step-by-step guide will be available to help you complete the application and make online payments. We understand that this is a new process, and you may have questions. Please feel free to contact the Valley Water Wells Permits hotline at 408-630-2660 for assistance.
 

Well Permitting Requirements

No person shall dig, bore, drill, deepen, modify, repair or destroy a water well, cathodic protection well, observation well, monitoring well, geothermal heat exchange well, exploratory boring (45 feet or deeper), or other deep excavation that intersects the groundwater aquifers of Santa Clara County without first obtaining a permit from the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Well Permit Fees
Please note that the well permit fee schedule has been updated. The current well permit fee schedule is effective January 1, 2026. Well permit fees must be received by the district with your permit application submittal. Failure to submit the appropriate well permit fees with your well permit application will result in permit processing delays.

Fees may be paid by check (made out to Santa Clara Valley Water District), cash (only if payment made in person to a district cashier) or by credit card.

Insurance Requirements 
Before the District will issue a well permit, the contractors listed on the permit application must provide insurance certificates to the District.  The insurance information must meet the criteria described here: Well Permit Insurance Requirements.

Well Inventory 
Any well construction permit for a water supply well must be submitted with a completed Well Inventory Form.  All existing water supply wells that are located on the property associated with the permit application must be included on the form.

Well Permitting Process

Important: You must allow 10 working days to process well permit applications. Do not schedule well drilling activities within this 10-day window

1. Obtain a well permit application by calling the district's Well Ordinance Program Hotline at (408) 630-2660, or download the appropriate application from the list at bottom of this page. Be sure to provide complete and correct information. Incorrect or incomplete information will result in delays in the permitting process and in your drilling schedule.
2. Completely fill out the appropriate well permit application.
   • Be sure to provide complete and correct information. Incorrect or incomplete information will result in delays in the permitting process and in your drilling schedule.
   • Be sure the property ownership information is correct. To confirm the property owner information, call the Santa Clara County Assessor's Office at (408) 299-5500 or access the Assessor’s information on-line HERE.
   • If you are applying for a well destruction permit, be sure that you include the State well number and owner's well number, and the original well construction permit number.
3. Complete the  Well Permit Fee Calculation Form (MS Word) and attach it to your permit application packet.
4. Attach the required insurance information (see above).
5. Attach the Well Inventory Form, if you are submitting a Water Well Construction Permit Application for a water supply well (see above).
6. If paying by check: mail, overnight, or walk in the completed permit application packet (permit application(s), Well Permit Fee Calculation Form, and check) to:

For USPS (regular or express/priority): 
Well Permits
Santa Clara Valley Water District
5750 Almaden Expressway
San Jose, CA 95118-3614

For FedEx, UPS, others:
Well Permits
Santa Clara Valley Water District
5905 Winfield Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95123-2428
Walk-In Permits:
5750 Almaden Expressway 
San Jose, CA 95118-3614

If you would like to email the completed permit application packet (permit application(s), Well Permit Fee Calculation Form, and proof of payment), send the documents to [email protected]. Be sure to include proof of payment by following the instructions for paying by credit card.

Well Permits are Valid for One Year from Date of Issuance 
Work authorized by District Well Construction, Destruction, Reconstruction, and Exploratory Boring Permits (well permits) must begin within one year from the date of the well permit issuance.  Permits will be voided if unused within one year.
Once a permit has been voided, any planned work associated with the voided permit must be completed under a new permit.  In other words, a new permit application must be submitted to the District with the associated permit fees.

Standby Well Permit and Well Reactivation Notice
If a well becomes inactive for more than one year, but is intended to be used in the future, the well owner must obtain a Standby Well Permit from Valley Water. Standby permits are valid for two years. 
If a well owner chooses to reactivate a well, the well owner must complete a Well Reactivation Notice. Standby permits and well reactivation notices require the signature of a C-57 or C-61/D-21 certified contractor to confirm the well remains in compliance with Valley Water and State well standards. 
Well Standards 
Valley Water regulates the construction and destruction of wells based on Valley Water’s "Standards for the Construction and Destruction of Wells and Other Deep Excavations in Santa Clara County" and the “California Well Standards.” A condensed version of these standards is presented in the Summary of Well Standards [PDF]. If your planned work does not meet the minimum requirements of the well standards, you must contact the Well Ordinance Program Hotline (408- 630-2660) prior to initiation of permitted activity to request a variance.

Well Inspection Requirements
You are required to have an authorized district well inspector on site to inspect the annular seal placement upon construction or reconstruction of a well and the grouting of wells to be destroyed. Valley Water may also inspect each proposed work site initially, at the completion of the work, and at such other times as it deems appropriate.

Well Inspection Scheduling
Upon receipt of a valid district well permit, you may schedule a well inspection. To schedule a well inspection call the district's Well Ordinance Program Hotline at (408) 630-2660. You must call to be added to our daily schedule at least 24 hours before you pour the annular seal or grout an exploratory boring or well to be destroyed.

On the day of the inspection, call the Well Ordinance Program Hotline (408) 630-2660, at least two hours before you pour a well seal. 

Valley Water offices are closed New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, President's Day, Lunar New Year, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day. No inspections will be scheduled on these days. Please see attached holiday calendar below for dates.