SRC-PNG S.B. 1300 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1300 By: Brown Natural Resources 3/29/1999 As Filed DIGEST A number of older residential subdivisions in Harris County were developed with lots insufficient in size to accommodate individual water and wastewater disposal facilities. These subdivisions are mostly in areas where septic systems are not feasible and a public sewer is unavailable. Households within these subdivisions are currently discharging their untreated sewage into roadside ditches or culverts, causing a public health hazard to the community. This bill would allow a county with a population of 2.8 million or more to permit the use of land aerobic, on-site sewage facilities for certain residential structures with properly treated discharge into state ditches. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1300 allows a county with a population of 2.8 million or more to permit the use of land aerobic, on-site sewage facilities for certain residential structures with discharge into state ditches. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) in SECTION 1 (Section 26.050(a), Water Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 26B, Water Code, by adding Section 26.050, as follows: Sec. 26.050. ON-SITE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM. Requires the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), by rule to authorize the issuance of a permit by a county for the discharge of treated sewage into or adjacent to water in this state by an on-site sewage disposal system, to the extent not in conflict with federal law, if certain conditions exist. Defines "on-site sewage disposal system." SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.