Put the whole proposal on a property map
Start with the property location and parcel information. Ask the company to draw the battery equipment, entrance, electrical line and temporary construction areas. If the proposal includes a well, water tank, office or sewage facility, show those too. The land requested in an agreement may extend beyond the battery fence.
Mark the home, barns, existing wells, septic facilities, livestock water points and roads you need to keep using. Include known easements, drainage features and neighboring access. This is a way to explain the property’s existing uses; the company’s professionals should prepare the required engineering and application drawings.
Have the company confirm whether the site and each part of its work are within a city, the county’s unincorporated area or another reviewer’s jurisdiction. A postal address is not enough to settle that question. Ask for the offices it consulted and the approvals still needed for the proposed work.
The county lists the County Judge’s office and precinct commissioners, with a separate groundwater district and on-site sewage contact. Those office listings are useful starting points for finding the right reviewer. They do not, by themselves, establish a battery siting process or make one office responsible for every approval.
Use one dated drawing when discussing the proposal. If the equipment area, delivery route or water source changes, request a new version and compare it with the rights the company wants. Do not let an early discussion map become a substitute for the final boundaries in a lease or easement.
Reference: Coke County: County Judge · Coke County: Commissioners Court · Coke County: Underground Water Conservation District · Coke County: On-Site Sewage
Find out where water would come from and how it would be used
Ask whether the company expects to use water during construction, regular operation or particular emergency arrangements. Have it explain the source and expected use for its actual design. A battery proposal is not enough information to decide that your well will be used or that a new well is necessary.
Separate water delivered by a supplier from water taken from a well on your property. If the company proposes to connect to an existing supply, ask who has agreed to provide it, who pays and what changes are needed. Permission to occupy an equipment area should not leave you unclear about access to your water.
Texas Chapter 8806 identifies the Coke County Underground Water Conservation District and describes its groundwater role. It provides authority concerning well permits, spacing, production and records. It does not supply the completed determination for a particular battery project or establish how much groundwater that project may use.
The district page links a preregistration notice of intent to drill. Its fields distinguish proposed uses, including domestic, livestock, industrial and test uses. Ask the applicant to describe the real proposed use and have the district determine which current requirements apply. Do not label a project well as domestic simply because a home is on the same tract.
The separately linked rules document needs clarification: its cover names Coke County, while parts of its body name Sterling County. This guide therefore does not present its pumping limits, spacing figures or exemptions as confirmed Coke requirements. Request the applicable current rules and a determination for the proposed work before relying on an exemption.
Put any agreed water use into the private documents as well. Identify the source, access, installation costs, ongoing bills, maintenance and what happens if the supply is interrupted. Ask how the company will protect water needed for the property’s existing uses.
Reference: Coke County: Underground Water Conservation District · Texas Legislature: Chapter 8806, Coke County Underground Water Conservation District · Coke County: linked preregistration notice of intent to drill
Treat well preregistration as its own step
The linked notice of intent to drill asks for the well owner, drilling company, proposed well size and location. It provides space for a survey description when coordinates are not known. These details concern a particular well; they are different from a general inquiry about whether your land could work for battery storage.
The form describes district review of the proposed location and a preliminary determination about exempt status. Its district-use portion separates drilling approval from a permit required before drilling. Have the company obtain the actual response and explain what remains to be done, rather than reporting only that it sent in a form.
The form also addresses work on an existing well, including reworking, redrilling or reequipping. If the company wants to change your current well, ask the district which current paperwork applies to that work and use. An existing well should not be treated as unrestricted merely because it is already drilled.
For a replacement well, the form asks what will happen to the old one: whether it will be capped, plugged or remain in use. Decide who will perform and pay for any required work. Consider the water supply you retain and the records you will need when the project ends.
Before signing, check who is named as the applicant and owner, what location is shown and what work is described. If the company or its contractor files for you, ask what authority it needs and how that authority is limited. Keep the application, response and any later changes together.
The form contains procedural timing language, but the applicable current review and exemption decision should be confirmed with the district. Do not set a private agreement’s construction date on the assumption that a submitted well notice guarantees approval or resolves the battery project’s other reviews.
Reference: Coke County: linked preregistration notice of intent to drill · Coke County: Underground Water Conservation District · Texas Legislature: Chapter 8806, Coke County Underground Water Conservation District
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landProtect existing wells and sewage facilities in the layout
Tell the company where existing water and sewage facilities are located, including facilities serving a home or another building you will retain. Identify access needed for service and repair. Ask its engineer to show how the new roads, trenches and equipment avoid those facilities.
The county’s on-site sewage packet includes a site-evaluation and planning checklist. It asks for wells, water features, slopes, structures, property lines and easements, along with the proposed sewage layout. Those requirements concern sewage review; they are not a universal battery setback standard.
If a project building needs an on-site sewage system, have the company explain why it is proposed, what buildings it serves and which professional will prepare the design. The packet distinguishes a private well from public water supply and asks for commercial or institutional occupancy information where relevant.
A new project use should not silently take capacity or space reserved for your home’s facilities. Ask whether an existing system would be used, altered or replaced, and whether its continued service has been checked. Include any private obligations to repair damage or restore the land after construction.
The sewage materials include groundwater, surface drainage and flood-hazard information in the evaluation. Ask the professional to review those issues for the actual work. A sewage site evaluation does not provide a general floodplain clearance for the battery facility, roads or electrical route.
Keep the final layout with your agreement. If the company later proposes a different well, sewage area or service route, review the change before granting additional rights. A small service line on a drawing may still involve construction space and future maintenance access.
Reference: Coke County: linked on-site sewage permit packet · Coke County: On-Site Sewage
| Proposed work | Question to settle |
|---|---|
| Use of an existing well | What water use is allowed, and how is my retained supply protected? |
| New or replacement well | Which district response and permissions cover the location and use? |
| New sewage facility | What does it serve, and who obtains approval and maintains it? |
| Service or access route | Does the agreement match the work area and future access needed? |
Read what an owner signature authorizes
The sewage application asks for the property owner’s details, site address, legal description and water source. Its owner-signature language certifies the information and authorizes entry for lot evaluation and sewage-facility inspection. Read the completed form, including that authorization, before signing.
The packet also includes technical information signed by a designer, a site-evaluator certification and a water-saving-device form when applicable. Ask which signatures belong to the professionals and which are requested from you. You should understand the statement you would be certifying and the information supporting it.
The packet separates an Authorization to Construct from approval following installation and inspection. Ask the company which document it has received and what work that document covers. A submitted application or payment is different from the issued authorization for the sewage system.
The posted materials contain older references and fee and timing statements. Confirm the current packet, charges and steps with the county representative before filing. This guide does not turn those figures into a quote for a battery development or a promised project schedule.
Discuss private site access separately from the agency form. Decide when the company and its contractors may enter, what testing they may perform, how they will protect gates and livestock, and how damage will be repaired. If an agency inspection authorization is requested, know its scope as well.
Retain copies of signed forms, submitted drawings and issued decisions. If ownership of the project or the design changes, ask whether updates are required. The lease should identify who pays for project work and who remains responsible after a transfer.
Keep water review separate from the battery project’s other approvals
A groundwater response addresses the well work and use described to that district. A sewage authorization addresses its particular system. Neither establishes that the battery can connect to the grid, that the equipment layout is approved or that the company has all necessary land rights.
Request a written approval list for the whole proposal, with the reviewer, application number where available, current stage and next step. Have the company distinguish a discussion with staff, an application awaiting review, an issued decision and work still subject to conditions.
Ask about the proposed delivery roads and entrance too. The county’s precinct contacts help identify whom to consult, but this guide has not established a particular Coke County haul-road permit or bond requirement. The applicant should confirm the actual road authority and requirements for the loads and route it plans to use.
Check the electrical route independently. Ask for the connection status, remaining studies or agreements, costs and land needed outside the equipment area. A nearby power line or another project in the county does not establish an available connection for your tract.
Match review milestones with the private agreement’s deadlines and payments. If approval is delayed or a different layout is required, understand how long the company can reserve the land and what choices you have. Include equipment removal, restoration and the arrangements backing those responsibilities.
You do not need to accept water or service obligations just to explore a proposal. Ask for a clear explanation when the company requests a signature or right, then review that specific request. Keep public approvals and private commitments identified by what each actually does.
Reference: Texas Legislature: Chapter 8806, Coke County Underground Water Conservation District · Coke County: linked on-site sewage permit packet · Coke County: Commissioners Court
Send the property basics to start the discussion
Use the form on this page to share your contact details and the property’s location. Approximate acreage and a parcel number are helpful if you have them. Tell us whether you want to consider the entire tract or just part of it.
Mention existing wells, a home, septic facilities, livestock water, shared access or another use you want to protect. You can describe what you know without obtaining district permits or commissioning a sewage evaluation for an initial inquiry.
If a company has already approached you, keep its map, proposed water source and any paperwork it wants you to sign. Note what it says has been approved and which office issued that document. Those details help make the next discussion specific to your property.
An inquiry to Sunland America does not file an agency application, authorize drilling, grant site access or commit you to a sale or lease. Any later proposal should describe the land and service rights, payments, deadlines and responsibilities clearly enough for you and your advisers to review.
Reference: Coke County: linked preregistration notice of intent to drill · Coke County: linked on-site sewage permit packet
Questions landowners ask
Will a battery project need water from my well?
That depends on the actual design and arrangements. Ask the company to identify any construction, operating or emergency water needs and its proposed source. Do not assume that a lease of the battery area includes permission to use your existing well.
Does a submitted well notice mean drilling is approved?
The posted preregistration form distinguishes the request from the district response and includes a place to indicate whether a permit is required before drilling. Obtain the actual determination and confirm current requirements before work begins.
Can an existing well be changed for the project?
The linked form includes rework, redrill and reequip options. Ask the district about the proposed work and use, and decide who pays and how your retained water supply is protected. An existing well is not proof of unrestricted project use.
Does a sewage permit approve the battery facility?
No. The sewage packet concerns its system and distinguishes construction authorization from later approval following inspection. Ask separately about battery siting, electrical connection, access and any other required reviews.
Why check an agency form before signing it?
The posted sewage application includes a certification of information and authorization for evaluation and inspection entry. Read the completed form and understand what you would authorize. Professional certifications and your private access agreement have separate purposes.
Do I need to gather permit paperwork before contacting Sunland America?
No. Start with your contact details and property location. Acreage, parcel number and known wells or access concerns help if available. The initial inquiry is not a permit application or commitment to a lease.
Sources & further reading
County office pages, the linked well-preregistration form, all nine pages of the linked sewage packet and Texas Chapter 8806 reviewed October 8, 2026. The groundwater rules file linked by the county has a Coke cover but repeated Sterling County references; its current applicability and numerical rules have not been established here. The forms include older references, so confirm the current documents and requirements with the responsible office. No battery-specific county approval route, project water demand, parcel jurisdiction, utility capacity or current land mandate was established. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.
- Coke County: Underground Water Conservation District
- Coke County: linked preregistration notice of intent to drill
- Texas Legislature: Chapter 8806, Coke County Underground Water Conservation District
- Coke County: On-Site Sewage
- Coke County: linked on-site sewage permit packet
- Coke County: County Judge
- Coke County: Commissioners Court