TPDES and TLAP Domestic Wastewater Permits
If you are required to obtain a domestic wastewater permit to
discharge or land apply treated domestic wastewater, you will start
the permitting process by doing the following:
- Contact TCEQ staff well in
advance of applying for a new permit or major amendment to an
existing permit.
This is not a requirement, but is highly recommended for new
facilities or major changes to existing permitted facilities. Staff
will help you determine if and what type of permit is needed as
well as what information needs to go into a permit application
package.
-
Determine if the water body receiving the discharge is on the
Texas Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List.
The Texas Water Quality Inventory and 303(d) List describe the
status of the state's waters on historical surface and groundwater
quality data (the Inventory) and identify water bodies that are not
meeting standards set for their use (the List). The List must be
approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before it is
considered final. The EPA approved the 2002 Texas Water Quality
303(d) submitted to the EPA on October 7, 2003 and approved by the
EPA on February 3, 2005.
To determine if the water body receiving the discharge is on the
approved 2006 Texas 303(d) list, go to http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/monitoring/water/quality/data/wqm/305_303.html#y2006.
-
Complete and submit a permit application package (one original
and three copies) at least 330 days before the proposed discharge
begins or as soon as possible for new or amended discharges.
The following instructions and forms are needed to complete the
permit application package. They may be used to submit an
application for a new permit, a major amendment or minor amendment
to an existing permit, or to submit an application to renew an
existing permit. These documents are made available in Portable
Document Format (PDF). (Help with PDF).
-
Completing the Domestic Wastewater Permit Application
These instructions include information on who needs to apply for a
wastewater permit, what should be included in the application for
the administrative and technical reports, various worksheet
instructions, examples, and fee information.
-
Domestic
Administrative Report
Complete applicable sections, the checklist, and include the
appropriate signatures. Submit the appropriate fees. If the report
is not in the same format and page numbering sequence, the
application will not be processed.
-
Domestic Technical
Report
Complete applicable sections and worksheets. If the report is not
in the same format and page numbering sequence, the application
will not be processed.
-
Instructions for Completing Sewage Sludge Technical
Reports
Use these instructions to complete the Sewage Sludge Technical
Report.
-
Sewage Sludge
Technical Report
Use this report to include authorization to land apply sludge,
marketing and distribution of sludge, and other sludge disposal
options in your domestic wastewater permit.
-
Core Data Form (PDF) (Word) (Instructions)
(More information can be found on the TCEQ Central Registry
Core Data Form - Instructions and Guidance web page.)
Complete and submit as part of your application if needed to obtain
a customer number or regulated entity number or if this information
needs to be updated. This form requests basic information about the
owner, the operator and the site.
After TCEQ receives the application, it will go through an
administrative and technical review:
-
Administrative Review
Staff will check to make sure the application is complete and the
administrative portion of the application includes appropriate
information. If not, you will be sent a Notice of Deficiency letter
describing what information is needed by a certain date. If
deficiencies are not addressed within a specified time period, the
application may be returned.
The Notice of Receipt of Application and Intent to Obtain Permit
or NORI is the first notice you must publish. It is published only
after the application is declared administratively complete. Do not publish this notice until you have received
the issued notice and instructions from us. You may also be
required to publish the notice in an alternative language based on
the bilingual education programs in the middle school or elementary
school nearest to the facility. If you are required to translate
the NORI into Spanish, you may use the corresponding templates we
provide as a courtesy at http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/nav/permits/wqspanish_nori.html.
-
Technical Review
The technical aspects of the application will be reviewed and
evaluated. You may be contacted for additional information. If
information is not received by the date requested, the application
may be returned. If the application is declared technically
complete, staff will proceed with preparing a draft permit,
technical summary or fact sheet for the application and public
notice.
The Notice of Application and Preliminary Decision or NAPD is
the second notice an applicant must publish. It is published only
after technical review of the application is complete and we have
made a preliminary decision to issue the draft permit. Do not publish this notice until you have received
the issued notice and instructions from us. You may also be
required to publish the notice in an alternative language based on
the bilingual education programs in the middle school or elementary
school nearest to the facility. If you are required to translate
the NAPD into Spanish, you may use the corresponding templates we
provide as a courtesy at http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/nav/permits/wqspanish_napd.html.
-
Comments from the Applicant
You will be given the opportunity to review and provide comments on
the draft permit. In addition, certain permits are sent to EPA for
their review and approval after comments from the applicant are
resolved. The draft permit is then filed with the TCEQ Office of
the Chief Clerk and instructions on the second public notice are
mailed to the applicant.
You must publish notice in a local and widely distributed
newspaper and make a copy of the application and draft permit
available in a public place. The public notice informs the public
that the TCEQ has prepared a draft wastewater permit and provides
instructions for commenting on the application. The public may
provide comments or request a public meeting or request a public
hearing on the application.
-
Public Comments
Comments on the application and draft permit are considered by the
TCEQ and if requested, the TCEQ may hold a public meeting. The TCEQ
staff will prepare a Response to Comments that addresses all of the
public comments received during the comment period on the
application and draft permit. The application may also be referred
by the Commission for a public hearing if requested by affected
parties.
-
Final Action on the Application
The commission or TCEQ may issue the draft permit or revise the
draft permit based on public comments or recommendations from the
public hearing. If a permit is issued, you will need to comply with
the provisions of the permit which include effluent limits and
monitoring requirements, standard provisions, sludge provisions,
and other requirements. In addition, you will be required to pay an
Annual Water Quality Fee.
Additional Application Forms for Domestic Wastewater
Permits
The following forms may be used to make changes to an existing
permit such as transfer of ownership, emergency or temporary
authorization, changes in name or address, notification of
completion of the wastewater facility, or request to cancel a
permit. These documents are made available in Portable Document
Format (PDF). (Help with PDF).
To view some of the relevant rules regarding wastewater permits,
click
here.
Contact us if you have
questions.
