Well Permits and Inspections

Well Permit Applications are 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 beginning to submit 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.

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 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 (see pdf attachment below). 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 delay permit processing. Fees can be paid by credit card via the CityWorks permit processing portal: https://app03.cityworksonline.com/CLIENT_SantaClaraValleyWaterCA-Public. If you want to pay by cash or check, please contact the Wells Unit at (408) 630-2660 for payment instructions. 

Insurance Requirements 
Before the District issues a well permit, the contractors listed on the permit application must provide insurance certificates to the District.  The insurance information must meet the criteria outlined in the 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

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 beginning to submit 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 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. Standby permits 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. Please use our CityWorks online portal to submit a Standby Well Permit HERE.  

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. The Well Reactivation Notice can be found in the attachments at the bottom of this webpage. 

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.