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TITLE 30ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
CHAPTER 290PUBLIC DRINKING WATER
SUBCHAPTER DRULES AND REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
RULE §290.45Minimum Water System Capacity Requirements

    (E) two or more service pumps with a total capacity of 1.0 gpm per unit; and

    (F) a pressure tank capacity of ten gallons per unit with a minimum requirement of 220 gallons.

  (3) A noncommunity public water system that is an affected utility shall meet the requirements of subsection (h) of this section.

(d) Noncommunity water systems serving other than transient accommodation units.

  (1) The following table is applicable to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection and shall be used to determine the maximum daily demand for the various types of facilities listed.

Attached Graphic

  (2) Groundwater supplies must meet the following requirements.

    (A) Subject to the requirements of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, if fewer than 300 persons per day are served, the system must meet the following requirements:

      (i) a well capacity which meets or exceeds the maximum daily demand of the system during the hours of operation; and

      (ii) a minimum pressure tank capacity of 220 gallons with additional capacity, if necessary, based on a sanitary survey conducted by the executive director.

    (B) Systems which serve 300 or more persons per day or serve fewer than 300 persons per day and provide ground storage must meet the following requirements:

      (i) a well capacity which meets or exceeds the maximum daily demand;

      (ii) a ground storage capacity which is equal to 50% of the maximum daily demand;

      (iii) if the maximum daily demand is less than 15 gpm, at least one service pump with a capacity of three times the maximum daily demand;

      (iv) if the maximum daily demand is 15 gpm or more, at least two service pumps with a total capacity of three times the maximum daily demand; and

      (v) a minimum pressure tank capacity of 220 gallons with additional capacity, if necessary, based on a sanitary survey conducted by the executive director.

  (3) Each surface water supply or groundwater supply that is under the direct influence of surface water, regardless of size, must meet the following requirements:

    (A) a raw water pump capacity which meets or exceeds the maximum daily demand of the system with the largest pump out of service;

    (B) a treatment plant capacity which meets or exceeds the system's maximum daily demand;

    (C) a transfer pump capacity (where applicable) sufficient to meet the maximum daily demand with the largest pump out of service;

    (D) a clearwell capacity which is equal to 50% of the maximum daily demand;

    (E) two or more service pumps with a total capacity of three times the maximum daily demand; and

    (F) a minimum pressure tank capacity of 220 gallons with additional capacity, if necessary, based on a sanitary survey conducted by the executive director.

  (4) A noncommunity public water system that is an affected utility shall meet the requirements of subsection (h) of this section.

(e) Water wholesalers. The following additional requirements apply to systems which supply wholesale treated water to other public water supplies.

  (1) All wholesalers must provide enough production, treatment, and service pumping capacity to meet or exceed the combined maximum daily commitments specified in their various contractual obligations.

  (2) For wholesale water suppliers, minimum water system capacity requirements shall be determined by calculating the requirements based upon the number of retail customer service connections of that wholesale water supplier, if any, fire flow capacities, if required by §290.46(x) and (y) of this title and adding that amount to the maximum amount of water obligated or pledged under all wholesale contracts.

  (3) Emergency power is required for each portion of the system which supplies more than 250 connections under direct pressure and does not provide an elevated storage capacity of at least 100 gallons per connection. If emergency power is required, it must be sufficient to deliver 20% of the minimum required service pump capacity in the event of the loss of normal power supply. When the wholesaler provides water through an air gap into the purchaser's storage facilities it will be the purchaser's responsibility to meet all minimum water system capacity requirements including emergency power.

  (4) A wholesaler that is an affected utility must meet the requirements specified in subsection (h) of this section.

(f) Purchased water systems. The following requirements apply only to systems which purchase treated water to meet all or part of their production, storage, service pump, or pressure maintenance capacity requirements.

  (1) The water purchase contract must be available to the executive director in order that production, storage, service pump, or pressure maintenance capacity may be properly evaluated. For purposes of this section, a contract may be defined as a signed written document of specific terms agreeable to the water purchaser and the water wholesaler, or in its absence, a memorandum or letter of understanding between the water purchaser and the water wholesaler.

  (2) The contract shall authorize the purchase of enough water to meet the monthly or annual needs of the purchaser.

  (3) The contract shall also establish the maximum rate at which water may be drafted on a daily and hourly basis. In the absence of specific maximum daily or maximum hourly rates in the contract, a uniform purchase rate for the contract period will be used.

  (4) The maximum authorized daily purchase rate specified in the contract, or a uniform purchase rate in the absence of a specified daily purchase rate, plus the actual production capacity of the system must be at least 0.6 gpm per connection.

  (5) For systems which purchase water under direct pressure, the maximum hourly purchase authorized by the contract plus the actual service pump capacity of the system must be at least 2.0 gpm per connection or provide at least 1,000 gpm and be able to meet peak hourly demands, whichever is less.

  (6) The purchaser is responsible for meeting all production requirements. If additional capacity to meet increased demands cannot be attained from the wholesaler through a new or amended contract, additional capacity must be obtained from water purchase contracts with other entities, new wells, or surface water treatment facilities. However, if the water purchase contract prohibits the purchaser from securing water from sources other than the wholesaler, the wholesaler is responsible for meeting all production requirements.

  (7) All other minimum capacity requirements specified in this section and §290.46(x) and (y) of this title shall apply.

(g) Alternative capacity requirements. Public water systems may request approval to meet alternative capacity requirements in lieu of the minimum capacity requirements specified in this section. Any water system requesting to use an alternative capacity requirement must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the executive director that approving the request will not compromise the public health or result in a degradation of service or water quality and comply with the requirements found in §290.46(x) and (y) of this title. Alternative capacity requirements are unavailable for groundwater systems serving fewer than 50 connections without total storage as specified in subsection (b)(1) of this section or for noncommunity water systems as specified in subsections (c) and (d) of this section.

  (1) Alternative capacity requirements for public water systems may be granted upon request to and approval by the executive director. The request to use an alternative capacity requirement must include:

    (A) a detailed inventory of the major production, pressurization, and storage facilities utilized by the system;

    (B) records kept by the water system that document the daily production of the system. The period reviewed shall not be less than three years. The applicant may not use a calculated peak daily demand;

    (C) data acquired during the last drought period in the region, if required by the executive director;

    (D) the actual number of active connections for each month during the three years of production data;

    (E) description of any unusual demands on the system such as fire flows or major main breaks that will invalidate unusual peak demands experienced in the study period;

    (F) any other relevant data needed to determine that the proposed alternative capacity requirement will provide at least 35 psi in the public water system except during line repair or during fire fighting when it cannot be less than 20 psi; and

Cont'd...

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