Important Notice and Reminders

In recent weeks, TCEQ has been enforcing and writing violations on the following issues and situations.

Change in Operator

Please review your authorization to determine if the existing entity is active with the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) and is the operator of the facility. TCEQ will check the SOS website!

- Per TCEQ General Permit, an authorization under the general permit is not transferrable. If the operator of the regulated entity changes, the present permittee must submit a Notice of Termination and the new operator must submit a Notice of Intent. The NOT and NOI must be submitted not later than 10 days prior to the change in operator status.

- Should the entity have changed or you wish to change the operator name, please give us a call. The TCEQ application fee is $100 for this filing.

Wellhead Protection
Per TCEQ General Permit, the PPP must identify and describe how compliance with the following requirements is achieved.

(1) The permittee must not locate or operate retention control structures, holding pens, or land management units within the following buffer zones:

          (i) Public water supply wells - 500 feet;
            (ii) Wells used exclusively for private water supply (domestic or stock) - 150 feet; or
            (iii) Wells used exclusively for agriculture irrigation - 100 feet.

(2) The permittee may continue the operation and use of any existing holding pens and retention control structures located within the required well buffer zones provided hat they are protected in accordance with the recharge feature evaluation and certification required in Part III.A.16(b). Documentation supporting variances of the buffer zones which were previously authorized through registration or an individual permit must be kept on-site and made available to TCEQ personnel upon request.

(3) Construction of any new water well must be done by a licensed water well driller.

(4) All abandoned and useable wells shall be plugged according to 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 76. If the well is plugged, a plugging report must be filled out. Should you need a copy of the guidelines for plugging a well, please give us a call.

(5) The permittee shall not locate new LMUs within the required well buffer zones unless additional wellhead protective measures are implemented that will prevent pollutants from entering the well and contaminating groundwater. An exception to the full well buffer zone for a private drinking water well or a water well used exclusively for agricultural irrigation may be approved by the Executive Director if a licensed Texas professional engineer or licensed Texas professional geoscientist provides accurate documentation showing that additional wellhead protective measures will be or have been implemented that will prevent pollutants from entering the well and contaminating the groundwater. Additional protective measures may include a sanitary seal, annular seal, a steel sleeve or surface slab.

(6) Irrigation of wastewater directly over a well head will require a structure protective of the wellhead that will prevent contact from irrigated wastewater. Please make sure you get wells within the 150-feet radius of any land application sites covered as soon as possible.


EAE will be checking these items on their visits, so please be thinking about your operator/entity status and the status of each well on the site and in the fields.


Texas State Comptroller


Texas Secretary of State

 

 












Texas State Comptroller

 

Texas Secretary of State