Requesting an Exception to Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems

A public water system (PWS) that does not meet a TCEQ design standard may request an exception by proposing another way it can meet the intent of the rules. We review each exception request to ensure that, if granted, the PWS will still deliver safe drinking water to its customers at adequate pressures.

Who Must Request an Exception?

Before your PWS begins any of these projects, you must request — and receive — an exception:

Installing a membrane plant
Installing an arsenic-removal plant
Changing your approved treatment process
Any other innovative or alternative design that does not meet the plant design requirements found in Subchapter D of the Texas public drinking water rules.

Exceptions cannot be granted for requirements other than the design requirements.

Are All Exceptions Automatically Approved?

No. For example, we granted only 55 percent of the exception requests processed in the first 10 months of fiscal 2009.

How Do I Request an Exception?

Because each exception request is unique, there is no form to complete. Instead, you must explain in writing why your PWS is requesting an exception to the rules. For more information, read our staff guidance documents on exceptions.

Also, you are not required to prepare the exception request by yourself. Your PWS’s consulting engineer or other duly authorized representative may prepare the request for you.

When your exception request is complete, mail it to the Technical Review and Oversight Team (TROT) at this address:

Technical Review and Oversight Team
Public Drinking Water Section, MC-159
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, Texas 78711-3087

We do not accept exception requests by any other means.

How Will My Request Be Reviewed?

When we approve an exception request, we may attach a set of conditions crafted specifically for the issue addressed in the exception.

We select conditions needed to protect public health, ensure adequate service, and maintain drinking water quality in the PWS. These conditions could pertain to sampling, treatment, public notice, or other activities.

These conditions must be met. If your PWS fails to meet them, we may revise the conditions or revoke our approval of the exception.

If My Design Requires an Exception,
When Should I Make the Request?

The best time to request an exception is before your PWS is locked into a course of action that will result in a deviation from the rules.

Under the rules, the exception request must be granted before you may submit engineering plans and specifications for our review and approval.

And be sure to allow 100 days for our review, as well as adequate time for you to make any design modifications that we identify in our review.

Can I Check the Status of My Exception Request?

Yes, you can. To check on the status of your request, go to the Integrated Water Utilities Database (iWUD) and search for your water system. Once you are on the view for your system:

Below the name of your water system, click “Documents.”
For "Document Type," select "Exception Request."
Leave "Value Type" and "Value" blank.
Click "Search List." iWUD will then show you a list of all exception requests submitted by your system, starting with the most recent.
Click on "Exception Request" in the row for the exception request you want to check.
The results will show you:

For "Action," whether your exception has been granted, was denied, or is still under review.
For "Final Action Date," the date of the approval or denial. (This field will be blank if the request is still under review.)
For "Staff," the initials of the person reviewing your request.

The Rule Behind This Process

Title 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 290 grants us the authority to review exceptions. In accordance with Subchapter D, Section 290.39(l):

Requests for exceptions to one or more of the requirements in this subchapter shall be considered on an individual basis. Any water system which requests an exception must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the executive director that the exception will not compromise the public health or result in a degradation of service or water quality.

The exception must be requested in writing and must be substantiated by carefully documented data. The request for an exception shall precede the submission of engineering plans and specifications for a proposed project for which an exception is being requested.
Any exception granted by the commission is subject to revocation.
Any request for an exception which is not approved by the commission in writing is denied.
The executive director may establish site-specific design, operation, maintenance, and reporting requirements for systems that have been issued an exception to the subchapter.

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