What Fort Bend Subsidence District does

Fort Bend Subsidence District (FBSD) is a conservation and reclamation district created by the Texas Legislature on May 26, 1989 to regulate groundwater withdrawal within Fort Bend County for the purpose of preventing land subsidence that contributes to flooding and infrastructure damage. The District operates as a political subdivision of the State of Texas, governed by a Board of Directors and a small staff of approximately 5 employees headquartered in Richmond, Texas. Its mandate was established in response to rapid county population growth, near-total dependence on groundwater, and proximity to significant water-level declines in adjacent Harris County, where groundwater levels in the Chicot/Evangeline Aquifer have declined in excess of 160 feet between 1990 and 2021.

FBSD's core service is a mandatory well permitting program administered through a Cityworks-based online portal that supports well registration, permit applications, annual pumpage reporting, fee payments, and meter calibration tracking. The District permits over 1,300 water wells annually across agricultural, commercial, religious, municipal, and industrial user segments, with exemptions for certain legacy single-family residential wells. Pricing is structured around a $50 renewal application fee, a $500 emergency permit fee, and allocation-dependent new permit fees, supplemented by rebate programs for unused allocations and over-conversion credits in Regulatory Area 3. There is no charge for annual groundwater use reporting.

Underlying the regulatory program is a science and research function delivered through the HoustonNet GPS monitoring network — a multi-agency collaboration including Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, University of Houston, USGS, National Geodetic Survey, TxDOT, FAA, and the US Coast Guard — alongside 14 USGS borehole extensometers providing aquifer compaction data. FBSD publishes annual groundwater reports and an interactive ArcGIS subsidence rate map. In January 2020 the District initiated a Joint Regulatory Plan Review (JRPR) with Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, completed in 2025 with an amended Regulatory Plan approved by the Board of Directors on December 10, 2025.

Name

Fort Bend Subsidence District

Legal name

Fort Bend Subsidence District

Website

https://fbsubsidence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fort Bend Subsidence District is a Texas Legislature-created conservation district that regulates groundwater withdrawal across Fort Bend County via mandatory well permitting, GPS subsidence monitoring through HoustonNet, and annual groundwater reporting to prevent land subsidence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resource Regulatory Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Groundwater Monitoring Networks (Well Design, Installation & Sampling Programs) (EUAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Groundwater regulation services
• Subsidence monitoring
• Water well permitting
• Aquifer management
• Water conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Well Permit Fees: The District generates revenue through permit fees for water wells, including new well permits, permit renewals ($50 renewal application fee), and emergency permit applications ($500). Permits are required for groundwater wells within the District's jurisdiction.
2. Annual Groundwater Use Reporting: No fee required for annual pumpage report submissions. This is a regulatory compliance requirement for all permit holders to report groundwater usage by January 31st each year.
3. Rebate Programs: District offers permit fee rebates for unused portions of allocation, groundwater credit rebates, and over-conversion credits for permittees in Regulatory Area 3 who exceed groundwater reduction requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Fort Bend Subsidence District regulates groundwater withdrawal within Fort Bend County through a mandatory well permitting program, GPS-based subsidence monitoring via the HoustonNet network, annual groundwater use reporting requirements, and water conservation rebate programs. It also publishes annual groundwater reports and operates an online Cityworks permitting portal for permit applications, renewals, fee payments, and meter calibration tracking.

Product overview

Fort Bend Subsidence District operates as a regulatory agency providing a unified platform of services centered on groundwater management and subsidence prevention. The core offering is the FBSD Permitting Portal, a web-based system for well permitting, registration, annual reporting, and fee payments. Supporting this are the GPS Monitoring Network (HoustonNet) for land subsidence measurement, groundwater regulation services, science and research programs producing annual reports, and water conservation initiatives including groundwater credit programs. The District's services work together to regulate groundwater withdrawal, monitor subsidence impacts, and promote water conservation within Fort Bend County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FBSD Permitting Portal
• GPS Monitoring Network (HoustonNet)
• Groundwater Regulation Services
• Science and Research Program
• Water Conservation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Groundwater levels in the Chicot/Evangeline Aquifer declined 160+ feet from 1990 to 2021 in northern Fort Bend County
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harris-Galveston Subsidence DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Collaborating agency in HoustonNet GPS monitoring network and Joint Regulatory Plan Review (JRPR) initiated in January 2020. Both districts work together on subsidence monitoring, groundwater regulation, and predictive subsidence modeling for the greater Houston-Galveston region.
• University of HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProcesses raw GPS data from HoustonNet stations and produces time series displacement plots used for subsidence rate determination. Partner in GPS station operations within the monitoring network.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains a network of borehole extensometers (14 total) providing key insight into aquifer compaction. Designed and installed extensometers beginning in the 1960s. Collaborator on subsidence monitoring alongside FBSD.
• National Geodetic Survey (NGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegral partner in establishing the District's monitoring program since the 1990s. Sets standards for land measurement systems and studies data. NGS has been counselor to HGSD and FBSD since their creation.
• Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency operating GPS stations within the HoustonNet dense GPS network for monitoring land surface elevation in the Houston-Galveston region.
• Texas Department of TransportationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency operating GPS stations within the HoustonNet dense GPS network for monitoring land surface elevation.
• United States Coast GuardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency operating CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Station) within the HoustonNet GPS monitoring network.
• Federal Aviation AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency operating CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Station) within the HoustonNet GPS monitoring network.
• Cooperative Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of additional CORS stations throughout the area used for subsidence monitoring purposes in conjunction with HoustonNet.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District: Texas groundwater conservation district operating GPS stations within the HoustonNet network alongside FBSD. Comparable in mandate (groundwater regulation and subsidence prevention) and overlapping technical infrastructure.
• Harris-Galveston Subsidence District: Adjacent Texas subsidence/groundwater regulatory district with the same legislative mandate, partner in the HoustonNet GPS network, and co-initiator of the Joint Regulatory Plan Review. Directly comparable in mission, technology stack, and regulatory scope.
• Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District: Texas groundwater conservation district covering parts of Montgomery and surrounding counties with a similar regulatory mission of groundwater withdrawal permitting and aquifer management.

Regional players

• Trinity Groundwater Conservation District: Texas GCD operating under the same state groundwater conservation framework, focused on Trinity Aquifer management. Comparable regulatory structure but geographically distinct, serving central/east Texas rather than the Houston-Gulf Coast subsidence zone.

Others

• Harris County Flood Control District: Local flood control authority whose mandate directly intersects with FBSD's subsidence mission, since subsidence contributes to flooding risk. Comparable on the flooding/subsidence outcome dimension but addresses the problem from the flood-control side rather than groundwater regulation.
• National Geodetic Survey (NGS): Federal agency setting land measurement standards and a counselor to FBSD and HGSD since their creation. Comparable on geodetic/GPS standards side but does not regulate groundwater.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS): Federal science agency that designed and installed the 14 borehole extensometers underpinning FBSD's subsidence monitoring. Comparable in scientific/monitoring capability but acts as a data and infrastructure partner rather than a regulatory peer.

Broad incumbents

• Texas Water Development Board: State-level water planning and financing agency that overlaps with FBSD's regional water planning, alternative water supply, and groundwater reduction mandate, but operates at state scope rather than county scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fort-bend-subsidence-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fort Bend Subsidence District