Texas Administrative Code

Texas Administrative Code

TITLE 30	ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
PART 1	TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
CHAPTER 290	PUBLIC DRINKING WATER
SUBCHAPTER D	RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
RULE §290.43	Water Storage

(3) Facilities shall be provided for maintaining the air-water-volume at the design water level and working pressure. Air injection lines must be equipped with filters or other devices to prevent compressor lubricants and other contaminants from entering the pressure tank. A device to readily determine air-water-volume must be provided for all tanks greater than 1,000 gallon capacity. Galvanized tanks which are not provided with the necessary fittings and which were installed before July 1, 1988 shall be exempt from this requirement.

(4) Protective paint or coating shall be applied to the inside portion of any pressure tank. The coating shall be as specified in subsection (c)(8) of this section.

(5) No pressure tank that has been used to store any material other than potable water may be used in a public water system. A letter from the previous owner or owners must be provided as specified in subsection (c)(9) of this section.

(6) Pressure tank installations should be equipped with slow closing valves and time delay pump controls to eliminate water hammer and reduce the chance of tank failure.

(7) All associated appurtenances including valves, pipes and fittings connected to pressure tanks shall be thoroughly tight against leakage.

(8) Where seamless fiberglass tanks are utilized, they shall not exceed 300 gallons in capacity.

(9) No more than three pressure tanks shall be installed at any one site without the prior approval of the executive director.

(e) Facility security. All potable water storage tanks and pressure maintenance facilities must be installed in a lockable building that is designed to prevent intruder access or enclosed by an intruder-resistant fence with lockable gates. Pedestal-type elevated storage tanks with lockable doors and without external ladders are exempt from this requirement. The gates and doors must be kept locked whenever the facility is unattended.

(f) Service pumps. Service pump installations taking suction from storage tanks shall provide automatic low water level cutoff devices to prevent damage to the pumps. The service pump circuitry shall also resume pumping automatically once the minimum water level is reached in the tank.

(g) Weatherization. All critical components necessary for the safe and sufficient storage of raw water or treated drinking water must be protected from adverse weather conditions.

Source Note: The provisions of this §290.43 adopted to be effective October 1, 1992, 17 TexReg 6455; amended to be effective November 3, 1995, 20 TexReg 8620; amended to be effective February 4, 1999, 24 TexReg 731; amended to be effective February 19, 2004, 29 TexReg 1373; amended to be effective July 30, 2015, 40 TexReg 4769; amended to be effective December 21, 2023, 48 TexReg 7585