Domestic Wastewater Treatment & Permitting

When it comes to domestic wastewater treatment, there are two main permits.

1. Less than 5,000 gallons per day (gpd) - this is what many refer to as a septic system. More formally known as On-Site Sewage Facility, or OSSF. For this classification, the permitting authority is normally the County, though not all counties. If the County does not have OSSF permitting authority, then it will fall back to the regional TCEQ office. See this TCEQ webpage for more information.

   • Note: If your flow exceeds 5,000 gpd, you are not allowed to divide your flow into multiple system​s where each one only treats 5,000 gpd. e.g. an estimated 12,000 gpd wastewater cannot be divided into three (3) 4,000 gpd OSSF systems on one property.

2. Greater than 5,000 gpd - These systems will require a Water Quality (WQ) permit.

   • Similar to the PWS permitting process, the TCEQ has a regionalization policy for wastewater treatment. Basically, it requires you work with any existing WW facility within a 3-mile radius before moving forward with the WQ permit process.

   • In addition to choosing and designing the wastewater treatment plant, an evaluation and determination will need to be made on how you are going to manage the treated effluent.​​​​ There are two major categories, including:

     • TPDES - Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System: This is where the treated effluent is discharged to a waterway.​​​

       • You can include use of "reclaimed water" with a TPDES application (30 TAC §210). This minimizes the volume of water being discharged to a waterway.

     • TLAP - Texas Land Application Permit: This is where the treated effluent is reused, typically on-site.

   • This is a complex topic and process. There a lot of "If, then" and "What about..." type discussions that will need to occur.

   • This permit requires public notices and public meetings. In some areas of the state, these can be quite contentious, particularly when using the TPDES option.

   • The permitting process can take 10-12 months to complete, possibly longer.

   • We strongly advise to pursue the TLAP option first. The second option would be to maximize use of the reclaimed water with the TPDES option.​

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We recommend you contact CSE to discuss the options that might be available for your project.