Hydrostatic Test Water Discharges: Obtaining Coverage Under General Permit No. TXG670000

If your operation discharges hydrostatic test water into or adjacent to water in the state, a permit is required. You may qualify for coverage under the Hydrostatic Test Water General Permit (TXG670000).

Note: 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 non- transferable and expire on the same date as the authorization.

TCEQ reissued the Hydrostatic Test Water General Permit No. TXG670000, with an effective date of April 5, 2025. Existing permittees must submit an NOI under the reissued permit within 90 days of the effective date to maintain coverage.

2025 Renewal documents:

You must obtain authorization before discharging hydrostatic test water into or adjacent to water in the state. The following steps will help determine if you qualify for coverage under this general permit:

Step 1.

Read the Hydrostatic Test General Permit TXG670000 to ensure it is applicable your situation. The Fact Sheet additional information about the general permit:

If the general permit does not apply, you may need to obtain an individual permit.
If the general permit does apply, continue with Step 2.

Step 2.

Review the facility's compliance history ranking (HTML):

If the facility has a ranking of “high performer”, “satisfactory performer,” or "inadequate information," continue with Step 3.
If the compliance history ranking of “unsatisfactory performer,” then the facility is not eligible for coverage under a general permit. You must apply for an individual permit.

Step 3.

Determine if a Notice of Intent (NOI) 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 NOI 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 may be authorized under theTXG670000 general permit.

Note: If you are discharging to an MS4, you must submit a copy of the NOI 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.

Step 4.

To apply for coverage under this general permit, you must: apply online using these instructions.

For additional guidance on setting up an account to submit the application forms using the online e-permitting system, please review the TCEQ Regulatory Guidance document A Guide to Creating an Account in STEERS E-Permitting (TCEQ Form RG-531a).

To request paper forms, please call:

TCEQ Application Review and Processing 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.

Step 5.

If you qualify for coverage under this general permit but would rather have an individual permit, you may request that coverage instead.

Provisional coverage under this general permit begins immediately after the NOI is submitted online.

We will review the NOI and take one of the following actions:

If everything is acceptable, we will send you an Acknowledgment Letter to authorize your coverage.
If any information is incomplete or missing, we will send you a letter requesting the necessary information. You will have 30 days (about a month) to respond to this request.
If coverage has been denied, we will send you denial letter.

You must keep a copy of the NOI and the acknowledgement certificate onsite.

Step 6.

After obtaining coverage, you will need to do the following to comply with your permit:

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.

Note: If you are discharging to an MS4, you must submit a copy of the NOT 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.

Annual Fees

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