Hydrostatic Test Water Discharges: Obtaining Coverage Under the TXG670000 General Permit

Steps to complete, and requirements to meet, to obtain coverage under the general permit TXG670000, which covers certain discharges of hydrostatic test water in Texas. Links to forms and guidance.

Effective October, 21, 2020, applicants must submit the application forms using the online e-permitting system or request and obtain an electronic reporting waiver. Electronic reporting waivers are not transferable and expire on the same date as the authorization to discharge.

Before discharging hydrostatic test water into or adjacent to water in the state of Texas, you must do the following:

1. Review your facility's compliance history ranking(HTML):

If your facility has a ranking of “high performer”, “satisfactory performer,” or "inadequate information," continue with Step 2.
If the compliance history ranking is “unsatisfactory performer,” then your facility is not eligible for coverage under a general permit. You must apply for an individual permit instead.

2. Read the Hydrostatic Test General Permit TXG670000 Microsoft Word Document to make sure it applies to your situation.

If the general permit does NOT apply, you may need to obtain an individual permit.
If the general permit does apply, continue with step 3.

3. Determine if a Notice of Intent is required to obtain coverage under the general permit.

If you are hydrostatically testing one of the following types of vessels, you do not need to submit a Notice of Intent to obtain coverage under the general permit. You simply comply with the requirements of the general permit.
- a new vessel;
- an existing vessel that contains or previously contained or transferred raw or potable water, or
- an existing vessel that previously contained only elemental gases (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.)
If you are hydrostatically testing an existing vessel that previously contained petroleum substances or waste related to petroleum substances, you must submit the application forms using the online e-permitting system using these instructions or request and obtain an electronic reporting waiver.
This general permit does not authorize discharges adjacent to water in the state (e.g. land application or evaporation) from activities that are regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC), including crude oil and natural gas facilities. Discharges from these facilities into water in the state are authorized under TXG670000 general permit

Note: If you are discharging to an MS4 (HTML), you must submit a copy of the Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Termination to the operator of that system at the same time you submit them to the TCEQ. MS4s can include things such as ditches, streets, gutters, manmade channels, etc., which are maintained by entities such as the city, state, county, drainage district, etc.

How to Apply

Application Submittal

Paper Forms

If you do not have access to a computer, you must call the:

TCEQ Industrial Permits Team at 512-239-4671 to obtain the paper application forms; and
TCEQ Compliance Monitoring Team at 512-239-2545 to obtain paper Discharge Monitoring Report forms.

Complying With Your Permit

After obtaining coverage:

Adhere to the requirements of the general permit
Submit Discharge Monitoring Reports online, as required.
Submit a Notice of Change (NOC) if you failed to submit any relevant facts, submitted incorrect information in an NOI, or if any previously submitted information has changed
Submit a Notice of Termination (NOT) when all discharges authorized by the permit are eliminated, completed, or if the operator or owner changes.

Annual Fees

Coverage continues to be active until a Notice of Termination is submitted. Annual water quality fees of $100 will accrue on September 1st of each year that the permit is active. An invoice for the annual fees will be mailed each year to the billing contact identified in your application.