Water availability, discharge permits, reuse and pollutants: key points for an industrial facility in Texas, with official sources.
Water availability differs by planning region, aquifer and supplier. Texas planning considers municipal, manufacturing, mining, irrigation and power-sector demand under drought-of-record conditions. The Phase I 2027 State Water Plan was adopted on July 23, 2026; the proposed Phase II amendment is a separate step. A planning forecast is not a current restriction on every industrial customer.
Sources: TWDB 2027 State Water Plan and adoption status; TWDB regional basis of water planning
30 TAC Chapter 210 Subchapter E distinguishes Level I and Level II industrial reclaimed-water authorization. Level I can cover specified onsite streams and approved end uses when the conditions, including an alternative disposal route, are met. Eligible examples include non-contact cooling water and cooling-tower blowdown with total dissolved solids below 2,000 mg/L. Not all industrial wastewater qualifies.
TCEQ explains that an eligible Level I producer can use water onsite without notification or approval, while a Level II producer needs authorization. Offsite reuse, domestic-wastewater content, other end uses or pollutant concentrations outside the eligible conditions can change the route. Separate water-right authorization can be necessary if reclaimed water enters a state watercourse before reaching the user.
Sources: TCEQ requirements for reclaimed water; EPA Texas industrial reuse summary and 30 TAC 210.51 to 210.60
The eligibility conditions referenced in section 210.53 include metals, organic carbon, oil and grease, dissolved solids and nitrate nitrogen for certain streams. These determine reuse eligibility; they do not replace the discharge permit or sewer limits for leftover wastewater. Nitrite and total phosphorus must still be monitored when the site's permits require them.
Classify every source stream and intended reuse, identify the authorization and fallback disposal route, and assess treatment or retreatment. Compare inlet and outlet metals, nutrients, salts and other required parameters, monitor seasonal supply and water savings, and retain traceable reports with certified authenticity.
Detailed state profiles in this edition: California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Florida, New York and Michigan. This is a federal overview with eight documented state profiles, not a completed review of all 50 states. For other locations, the federal overview remains useful but a state and local review is still needed. Your discharge permit, sewer authorization and water supply conditions determine the requirements for your facility.
Let's start with a water audit: a site-specific assessment to identify your savings potential and define the right solution.