We Just Told a Client Their $15,000 Project Wasn’t Worth Our Time—They Thanked Me for It

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires every regulated water and wastewater facility to demonstrate that essential systems will continue to operate during an electrical outage. This requirement is not just a formality; without backup power, a distribution system can lose pressure in a matter of minutes, disinfection can stop, and wastewater lift stations can overflow. Any of these conditions can create a direct public health hazard and, at the same time, put the utility in violation of its permit.