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Municipal Domestic Wastewater Permits

This page contains a brief description of activities requiring Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permits and Texas Land Application Permits (TLAP) for the disposal of municipal domestic wastewater and applicable rules.

The discharge of treated domestic wastewater into or adjacent to water in the state must be authorized by the TCEQ.

Domestic facilities that dispose of treated effluent by discharge into waters in the state are required to obtain a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permit.

Domestic facilities that dispose of treated effluent by land application (surface irrigation, evaporation, drainfields or subsurface land application) are required to obtain a Texas Land Application Permit (TLAP) permit.

Municipal Domestic Wastewater Permits:
Applicable Rules

To better understand the permitting process and how permit requirements are established in domestic wastewater permits, it helps to be familiar with the rules that govern the disposal of wastewater. The following links to the Texas Administrative Code may be helpful. 

 
Chapter 21 Water Quality Fees
Chapter 30 Occupational Licenses and Registrations
Chapter 39 Public Notice
Chapter 40 Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedure
Chapter 50 Action on Applications and Other Resolutions
Chapter 55 Requests for Reconsideration and Contested Case Hearings; Public Comment
Chapter 60 Compliance History
Chapter 80 Contested Case Hearings
Chapter 210 Use of Reclaimed Water
Chapter 213 Edwards Aquifer
Chapter 217 Design Criteria for Sewerage Systems
Chapter 222 Subsurface Area Drip Dispersal Systems
Chapter 281 Applications Processing
Chapter 305 Consolidated Permits
Chapter 307 Texas Surface Water Quality Standards
Chapter 308 Criteria and Standards for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Chapter 309 Domestic Wastewater Effluent Limitation and Plant Siting
Chapter 311 Watershed Protection
Chapter 312 Sludge Use, Disposal and Transportation
Chapter 314 Toxic Pollutant Effluent Standards
Chapter 315 Pretreatment Regulations for Existing and New Sources of Pollution
Chapter 317 Design Criteria Prior to 2008
Chapter 319 General Regulations Incorporated into Permits
Chapter 332 Composting
Chapter 351 Regionalization

A guidance document can be found here which describes how effluent limits and other requirements based on water quality standards are established in domestic wastewater discharge permits to protect surface water quality standards.

Contact the Water Quality Division if you have questions.