Permitting and Operational Support – HPW’s team of compliance specialists that manage the effluent discharge and air quality permits for all Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and coordinate Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (and other regulatory agency) inspections and communications. In addition, the team supports the Wastewater Operations Branch by monitoring and reporting compliance with Houston’s Wastewater Consent Decree providing quality assurance review of all Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) records, and assisting with other compliance-related projects. 

Wastewater Laboratory - HPW’s NELAP accredited wastewater analytical laboratory uses state-of-the-art equipment to monitor the treatment effectiveness of each WWTP. As a NELAP accredited laboratory, data from this in-house laboratory is submitted directly to TCEQ to demonstrate WWTP permit compliance. The wastewater laboratory staff conduct ~ 100,000 wastewater analyses every year. 

Industrial Wastewater Service - WWRC’s industrial wastewater program issues permits and provides oversight to 150 industrial facilities authorized to discharge industrial wastewater to HPW’s wastewater system. Each permit issued by the Industrial Wastewater Service contains strict discharge limitations. The program also handles collection of pre-treatment and industrial waste samples, special projects / surveillance samples, and environmental monitoring following plant upsets and spills. For more information, visit the Pretreatment and Industrial Wastewater page.