We issue permits and conduct routine inspections of specific types of stormwater infrastructure and business activities. The permits and inspections help protect Austin residents and the environment from stormwater pollution, flooding, and erosion.
- Ponds and Other Stormwater Control Measures
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Stormwater control measures help reduce flooding and/or protect water quality in our streams and lakes. They do this by capturing a portion of runoff produced when it rains. They then release the water slowly and/or filter it to remove pollution.
Detention ponds and sedimentation/filtration ponds are the most common stormwater control measures. Other types include retention irrigation ponds, wet ponds, and green stormwater infrastructure such as biofiltration ponds, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, and vegetative filter strips.
There are close to 8,900 privately-owned stormwater control measures in Austin. Owners are responsible for maintaining them and keeping them in good working order. We inspect most of them at least every three years. Subsurface or underground ponds and ponds located in the Barton Springs Zone have different permitting and inspection requirements. See below for additional information.
Contact Us and Resources:
Please email questions to PIDS@austintexas.gov
- Barton Springs Zone Operating Permit
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In the Barton Springs Zone, runoff drains into the Edwards Aquifer, specifically the part that feeds into Barton Springs. This is an environmentally-sensitive area, and water quality regulations dating back to the early 1990s help protect it.
The Barton Springs Zone includes portions of seven watersheds: Barton, Bear, Little Barton, Little Bear, Onion, Slaughter and Williamson.
Operating Permits and Inspections
Properties within this zone with a stormwater control measure must obtain a Barton Springs Zone Operating permit and renew it every year. Property owners or managers must include maintenance records and pay the annual permit fee. We also regularly inspect water quality controls, and we may require repairs.
Austin Build + Connect Portal
Permit administration and record keeping is all done through the Austin Build + Connect portal. Use this portal to check your permit status, apply for or renew your permit, make payments and upload required documentation.
It is important to keep contact information up to date in the AB+C portal. We will send an email to the “applicant” email on file thirty days prior to a due date, the day after the due date and sixty days after the due date. You can also email bszopertingpermit@austintexas.gov with any contact changes for a property.
How to renew a Barton Springs Operating Permit
To renew a Barton Springs Zone Operating Permit, you must complete the following steps:
- Pay any outstanding permit fees.
- Submit an updated renewal application.
- Provide the previous year’s maintenance records for the water quality control(s) on site.
Properties can complete all three items using the Austin Build + Connect portal. If you do not currently have an account, you will need to create one and notify bszoperatingpermit@austintexas.gov of the email address used to create the account and what site you are representing. We will then link the account to the permit which will allow the user to complete steps to renew the permit.
Other Payment Options
- Over the Phone: 512-974-7045, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- In Person: PDC – 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr., Austin, Texas, 78752, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Mail via United States Postal Service (include invoice): City of Austin-PDC DSD-Cashier, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, Texas 78767
- Overnight/express courier service (include invoice): City of Austin – PDC DSD-Cashier, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr., Austin, Texas 78752
Do not send permit applications or maintenance records to the cashier’s office.
Contact Us and Resources
Please email questions to bszoperatingpermit@austintexas.gov
- Barton Springs Zone Operating Permit Initial Application
- Renewal application
- Maintenance Requirements for water quality control measures (Environmental Criteria Manual 1.6.3 (C). Additional maintenance requirements for retention irrigation systems are in Section 1.6.3 (C) 5)
- City of Austin Fee Schedule
- Subsurface Stormwater Control Measures
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Some detention and water quality stormwater control measures are located underground, called subsurface stormwater control measures. They are often located under parking structures.
You can check if your property has a subsurface control measure, using the Public Search function on the AB+C portal.
Inspection & Reporting
Property owners or managers of subsurface stormwater control measures must submit a third party annual inspection report, sealed by a Texas-licensed Professional Engineer. Email inspection reports to PIDS@austintexas.gov for Watershed Protection review.
There is no official City of Austin inspection report template. The requirements for inspections and subsequent reports are referenced in the Environmental Criteria Manual Section 1.6.2.E. Keep in mind:
- Reports are required annually.
- The requirement applies to both stormwater detention and water quality controls.
- Inspections must be done by a third party.
- Reports must be signed and sealed by a Texas-licensed Professional Engineer
Please not that OSHA requires confined space training for inspecting subsurface stormwater controls.
The City of Austin does not endorse, recommend, or guarantee any subcontractor or their work.
Contact Us and Resources
Please email questions to PIDS@austintexas.gov
- Stormwater Discharge Permits
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A City of Austin Stormwater Discharge Permit is required for specific commercial and industrial operations within the City of Austin limits. The following types of business activities are considered high-risk as potential sources of polluting discharges and are regulated by the Stormwater Discharge Permit Program:
- Aircraft repair
- Automotive repair
- Boat repair
- Bulk petroleum storage and distribution
- Chemical manufacturing and storage
- Commercial cleaning
- Concrete batch plant operation
- Fuel dispensing
- Groundwater remediation
- Heavy equipment repair
- Hydraulic system repair
- Lubrication services
- Machine shop services
- Radiator repair
- Small engine repair
- Transmission rebuilding and repair
- Vehicle salvage
Routine Inspections
We conduct routine inspections of permitted facilities to ensure compliance with the City of Austin Water Quality Code. Our inspectors locate, verify, and monitor plumbing connections to the City storm drain system and receiving waterways to prevent illegal discharges of commercial or industrial waste. During an inspection, waste storage, handling and disposal practices are evaluated as well as maintenance activities. This is to ensure stormwater runoff from these sites is free of pollutants.
Maintaining a City of Austin Stormwater Discharge Permit
Stormwater Discharge Permits are issued to facilities on an annual basis. Each facility is responsible for obtaining and maintaining a current permit. The Stormwater Discharge Permit fee is $10 per month and is assessed on the property’s utility bill. Permits are renewed automatically, and a paper copy of the annual permit is mailed to business addresses each year, typically in January.
TPDES Stormwater Permits
The City’s Stormwater Discharge Permit Program operates independently of the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) stormwater permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Contact Us and Resources
To request a Stormwater Discharge Permit, or for questions regarding the Stormwater Discharge Permit Program, please email stormwaterpermit@austintexas.gov or call 512-974-2550, Option #3.
Violations
If you do not comply with the requirements of one of these permits, the City of Austin will issue a Notice of Violation for noncompliance with the Water Quality Code or Land Development Code.
Examples of violations include:
- Unauthorized discharge of pollutants,
- Failure to maintain a stormwater control measure, or
- Failure to provide the required annual subsurface stormwater control measure inspection report.
Noncompliance may result in criminal penalties and fines up to $2,000 per day per violation.
- See the Water Quality Code or Land Development Code
Confined Space Entry
Confined spaces, such as subsurface stormwater control measures and other drainage infrastructure, can be dangerous. OSHA regulates confined space entry. Only trained and authorized personnel should enter. These spaces may lack proper ventilation and lighting and contain hazards such as toxic and flammable gases, wild animals and sharp objects. When it rains, they can fill with water quickly. People can be swept inside and trapped, resulting in injury or death.