Hydrostatic Test Water Discharges: Am I Regulated?
Types of discharges that require an environmental permit and how to determine which kind of permit is needed. Links to pages that explain how to apply for each respective permit.
If you plan to discharge wastewater resulting from the hydrostatic testing of vessels (pipelines, tanks, and other containers) into water in the state , then you need an environmental permit. The two types of permits available for this activity are a general permit or an individual permit.
General Permit TXG670000
The Hydrostatic Test General Permit
TXG670000 
authorizes the discharge of water resulting from a hydrostatic test of a vessel into or adjacent to water in the state from:
- New vessels;
- Existing vessels that contain or previously contained or transferred raw or potable water, where the water used for hydrostatic tests does not contain corrosion inhibitors, antifreeze compounds, biocides, or other chemical additives (except chlorine or tracer dyes);
- Existing vessels that previously contained only elemental gases (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.); and
- Existing vessels that previously contained petroleum product or waste related to petroleum products.
See if you qualify for this general permit at Obtaining Coverage Under the General Permit for Discharges of Hydrostatic Test Water
Individual Permit
If you don't qualify for coverage under this general permit, you must apply for an individual permit for these discharges.
Contact us if you have questions.