We are a water and wastewater engineering firm helping California municipalities, developers, and engineering partners deliver infrastructure projects faster, with efficient approvals and predictable costs.
ater and wastewater projects slip when schedules drift, designs overreach, or permitting risks are not addressed early. We engineer with California’s regulatory and delivery realities in mind.
We do not optimize for billable hours. We structure water and wastewater work around outcomes: clear submittals, reduced rework, schedules you can defend, and systems sized for constructability and long-term operation.
In California, time to permit and time to deliver matter as much as hydraulics and code compliance. We treat schedule as a design input from day one because delays often cost more than engineering.
Our engineers are organized for focused problem solving, not constant meetings. Fewer handoffs and fewer revisions lead to cleaner packages, clearer responses, and smoother reviews.
We use AI to reduce repetitive drafting work so our PEs can spend more time on coordination, constructability, and submittal quality. The PE owns the engineering decisions, and every deliverable is reviewed before it goes out the door.
We support California clients who need water and wastewater engineering expertise without large-firm overhead or slow delivery.
Small and mid-sized California communities managing aging infrastructure, discharge and water quality requirements, and capital planning cycles. We deliver clear recommendations and designs aligned with local budgets, operations, and review expectations.
Developers and industrial owners who need fast feasibility answers, realistic construction costs, and a clear path through California agency review before capital is committed. We help de-risk schedules by addressing permitting and coordination early.
Civil firms that need a dependable water and wastewater partner or are facing PE bandwidth constraints. We integrate quietly with your team to produce clean deliverables, respond quickly to comments, and keep projects moving.
We provide water and wastewater engineering services across California with a focus on constructability, clean submittals, and predictable project delivery.
Developing in California means dealing with tough wastewater rules. The big question: connect to the city’s system or build your own? What will it actually cost? We handle Treatment Planning, State Water Board and Regional Water Quality Control Board Permitting, Collection System Design, Lift Stations, Construction Drawings, and Hydraulic Modeling. You get real answers, actual costs, and permits that don’t drag on forever.
Your project needs water, and in California, that’s not always simple. We help you pick the right path: city connection, wells, or tanks? We do Treatment Planning, DDW (Division of Drinking Water) Permitting, Distribution Design, Booster Stations, Pressure Vaults, Water Tanks, and Construction Drawings. You get quick answers and plans contractors can start building from today.
We take care of your entire site design. That means Concept Planning, Project Permitting, Construction Drawings, and Kiosk Site Planning. We line up grading, drainage, utilities, and paving so your schedule stays on track. You get plans that pass local review and contractors can use right away.
When construction kicks off, we’re there making sure it goes smooth. We handle site observation, answer contractor questions, review submittals, and approve shop drawings. We spot problems before they blow your budget, respond fast, and keep change orders under control. Less hassle, fewer surprises, and work that’s done right the first time.
Challenge Overcome: Discharge permits in Caldwell County near the San Marcos River watershed face intense scrutiny from regional water authorities and environmental advocacy groups. Public hearings attended by Modern Engineering Solutions staff for neighboring discharge permit applications revealed highly contentious 30+ month permitting timelines. The 210E pathway bypassed this opposition entirely, securing approval in just 4 weeks by demonstrating beneficial agricultural reuse. The project’s 2.0 MGD scale, one of the largest 210E authorizations issued to date for MES, proves that flow volume does not limit 210E applicability when industrial components and viable reuse plans are present. The off-site reuse agreement with Circle G Livestock provides long-term disposal certainty while supporting local agricultural operations.
Location: Martindale, Caldwell County, Texas
Authorization Number: 2E-0000348
Time to Permit: 4 weeks
Time Saved vs. Discharge Permit: ~23 months
Project Type: Master-planned mixed-use development combining residential subdivisions, data center operations, and concrete batch plant facilities
Wastewater Profile:
Reuse Strategy:
Challenge Overcome: Williamson County denied septic permit approval due to platting issues and site constraints that made conventional on-site wastewater treatment infeasible. The 210E authorization bypassed county jurisdiction entirely, allowing the project to proceed under state-level TCEQ oversight with a zero-discharge reclaimed water system. The 4-week approval timeline enabled the developer to maintain construction schedules and avoid costly project delays.
Location: Taylor, Williamson County, Texas
Authorization Number: 2E-0000369
Time to Permit: 4 weeks
Time Saved vs. Discharge Permit: ~23 months
Project Type: Mixed-use business park combining industrial operations with commercial/office facilities
Wastewater Profile:
Reuse Strategy:
Challenge Overcome: A traditional 1.0 MGD discharge permit in the San Marcos area would have faced significant opposition from environmental groups concerned about impacts to the San Marcos River and Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Public hearings and third-party referral processes typically extend discharge permits to 30+ months in this region. The 210E authorization completely avoided the contentious discharge permit process by implementing a zero-discharge system. Even with the larger flow volume requiring more detailed technical review, TCEQ approved the authorization in just 10 weeks—21 months faster than a discharge permit. The project’s data center component provided clear industrial justification, while the large-scale on-site irrigation capacity eliminated any surface water discharge concerns.
Location: San Marcos, Hays County, Texas
Authorization Number: 2E-0000365
Time to Permit: 10 weeks
Time Saved vs. Discharge Permit: ~21 months
Project Type: Large-scale mixed-use development combining data center operations, commercial facilities, and supporting infrastructure
Wastewater Profile:
Reuse Strategy:
Challenge Overcome: Williamson County denied the septic permit due to concerns about industrial wastewater constituents and site-specific geological limitations. Traditional on-site disposal was not viable, and a discharge permit would have faced lengthy review and potential opposition. The 210E pathway provided a clean industrial reclaimed water solution in 6 weeks, allowing the facility to commence operations on schedule. The self-contained on-site reuse eliminates any off-site discharge concerns and provides complete operational control.
Location: Taylor, Williamson County, Texas
Authorization Number: 2E-0000358
Time to Permit: 6 weeks
Time Saved vs. Discharge Permit: ~22 months
Project Type: Industrial-only facility with process wastewater and equipment cleaning operations
Wastewater Profile:
Reuse Strategy:
Texas needs $154 billion to fix its water infrastructure but committed only $20 billion. With 186 billion gallons lost annually and pipes dating to the 1890s, developers face serious project risks from aging municipal systems.
Municipal Utility District formation consumes 18-24 months and significant capital before developers install a single pipe. For Texas development projects in extraterritorial jurisdiction areas requiring...
Read MoreHow to Access $2 Billion in Senate Bill 7 Funding for Texas Water Reuse Projects
Senate Bill 7 (SB7) makes $2 billion available for Texas water reuse and new water supply projects over the next 22 years.
Read MoreHow to Cut TCEQ Wastewater Permit Timeline from 12 Months to 6-8 Weeks Using Reuse Authorization
Most Texas developers accept 12-month TCEQ permitting timelines as unavoidable, building substantial carrying costs into every project pro forma. The reality: this timeline is not...
Read MoreLand Application Permits for Treated Wastewater: A Texas Developer’s Guide
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...
Read MoreWe 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...
Read MoreTCEQ’s Power Reliability Requirements: Generator vs. Dual Feed Design
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...
Read MoreReuse vs. Discharge: Which Wastewater Strategy Fits Your Texas Development?
Every Texas developer faces the same critical decision: discharge treated wastewater into streams or set up reuse for local farms and businesses. This choice impacts...
Read MoreManholes collapsing in your community is one of those infrastructure nightmares that keeps public works directors up at night. When residents see emergency crews digging...
Read MoreHave a question about our services? Not sure if you need an engineer?
Give us a call or leave a message and we’ll contact qualified projects within few working hours!
