2023 Texas Statutes › Water Code › Title 2 - Water Administration › Subtitle C - Water Development › Chapter 16 - Provisions Generally Applicable to Water Development › Subchapter J. Economically Distressed Areas › Section 16.343. Minimum State Standards and Model Political Subdivision Rules

Sec. 16.343.  MINIMUM STATE STANDARDS AND MODEL POLITICAL SUBDIVISION RULES.  (a)  The board shall, after consultation with the attorney general and the commission, prepare and adopt model rules to assure that minimum standards for safe and sanitary water supply and sewer services in residential areas of political subdivisions, including rules of any state agency relating to septic tanks and other waste disposal systems, are met.
(b)  The model rules must:
(1)  assure that adequate drinking water is available to the residential areas in accordance with Chapter 341, Health and Safety Code, and the Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems and the Drinking Water Standards Governing Water Quality and Reporting Requirements for Public Water Supply Systems adopted by the commission and other law and rules applicable to drinking water; and
(2)  provide criteria applicable to tracts that were divided into two or more parts to lay out a subdivision and were not platted or recorded before September 1, 2005.
(c)  The model rules must:
(1)  assure that adequate sewer facilities are available to the residential areas through either septic tanks or an organized sewage disposal system that is a publicly or privately owned system for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage operated in accordance with the terms and conditions of a valid waste discharge permit issued by the commission or private sewage facilities in accordance with Chapter 366, Health and Safety Code, and the Construction Standards for On-Site Sewerage Facilities adopted by the commission and other law and rules applicable to sewage facilities; and
(2)  provide criteria applicable to tracts that were divided into two or more parts to lay out a subdivision and were not platted or recorded before September 1, 2005.
(d)  The model rules must prohibit the establishment of residential developments with lots of five acres or less in the political subdivision without adequate water supply and sewer services.  Also, the model rules must prohibit more than one single-family, detached dwelling to be located on each lot.
(e)  The model rules must provide criteria governing the distance that structures must be set back from roads or property lines to ensure proper operation of water supply and sewer services and to reduce the risk of fire hazards.
(f)  The model rules may impose a platting or replatting requirement pursuant to Subsection (b)(2), (c)(2), or (d).  Except as may be required by an agreement developed under Chapter 242, Local Government Code, a municipality that has adopted the model rules may impose the applicable platting requirements of Chapter 212, Local Government Code, and a county that has adopted the model rules may impose the applicable platting requirements of Chapter 232, Local Government Code, to real property that is required to be platted or replatted by the model rules under this section.
(g)  Before an application for funds under Section 15.407 or Subchapter P, Chapter 15, or Subchapter K, Chapter 17, may be considered by the board, if the applicant is located:
(1)  in a municipality, the municipality must adopt and enforce the model rules in accordance with this section;
(2)  in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the applicant must demonstrate that the model rules have been adopted and are enforced in the extraterritorial jurisdiction by the municipality or the county; or
(3)  outside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the county must adopt and enforce the model rules in accordance with this section.
Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 624, Sec. 2.13.  Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 14, Sec. 284(71), (78), eff. Sept. 1, 1991;  Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 422, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1991;  Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 648, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 11.290, eff. Sept. 1, 1995;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 979, Sec. 15, eff. June 16, 1995;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 404, Sec. 34, eff. Sept. 1, 1999;  Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1234, Sec. 27, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 927 (H.B. 467), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 927 (H.B. 467), Sec. 15, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1364 (S.B. 1599), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2013.