Septic services in Texas
Texas regulates septic systems, formally called On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSFs), through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) under its OSSF Program. The governing law is Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366, implemented through the technical rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 285. With more than 2.6 million systems serving roughly a fifth of new homes, Texas has one of the largest septic populations in the nation. Most day-to-day permitting and inspection is handled locally: TCEQ delegates authority to roughly 300 county, city, and district 'authorized agents' who issue permits, evaluate soils, and enforce setbacks. Anyone who installs, maintains, or evaluates a system must hold a TCEQ occupational license, searchable through TCEQ's public license database. A defining feature of the Texas program is the heavy reliance on aerobic treatment units (ATUs) with spray fields, common because clay and shallow-bedrock soils across much of the state defeat conventional drainfields. ATUs carry a mandatory, lifetime maintenance contract with inspections three times a year. Sensitive zones like the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone carry stricter lot-size and setback rules under 30 TAC 285.40 and Chapter 213.