Four miles of waterline moved clear of TxDOT IH-20 work while Bitter Creek customers kept water service.
Bitter Creek Water Supply IH-20 waterline relocation
Where we work
Texas Land Development
Water, wastewater and civil engineering for Texas land development. TCEQ, city and county permits handled by one licensed firm based in McKinney, Texas.
What we do in Texas
Land development engineering in Texas
Modern Engineering Solutions (MES) is a civil engineering firm headquartered in McKinney, Texas. We design the water, wastewater and site civil work that Texas land development needs.
One team handles the utilities and the site. Grading, drainage, water and sewer are designed together, so the plan sets agree before they reach a reviewer.
Developers, builders, landowners and utilities bring us in at feasibility, for permits, or for support during construction.
How permitting works for Texas land development
Most Texas sites answer to the state, a utility provider and a city or county.
The state. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reviews public water system plans under 30 TAC Chapter 290. Its design rules for domestic wastewater systems are in 30 TAC Chapter 217. Sites that disturb one acre or more need coverage under TCEQ's construction stormwater general permit, TXR150000.
Water and sewer service. The Public Utility Commission of Texas issues the certificates of convenience and necessity (CCNs) that set which utility may serve an area. Where a groundwater conservation district exists, it sets the rules for new wells.
The city or county. Plats, site plans and drainage studies go to the city or the county, depending on where the site sits. A driveway onto a state highway needs TxDOT approval.
When there is no sewer to connect to
Many Texas sites sit beyond the reach of a city sewer. The options include an on-site sewage facility under 30 TAC Chapter 285, a TCEQ discharge permit, or a reuse authorization under TCEQ's Chapter 210 reclaimed water rules.
Each path has its own design rules, review steps and long-term duties. We compare them for your site before design starts.
Work across Texas
In Taylor, a business park moved ahead on a TCEQ reuse authorization after the county denied a septic permit.
In Lindsay, we planned 48 home lots and a future industrial site, with the detention pond, water line extension and sewer.
Common questions
Do I need a TCEQ permit for my land development?
It depends on the utilities. A new public water system needs TCEQ approval of its plans before construction. A wastewater plant needs a TCEQ permit or authorization. Disturbing one acre or more needs construction stormwater coverage.
Can one firm handle the civil and utility design?
Yes. MES designs grading, drainage, paving, water and sewer as one set, then supports the job through construction.
Where in Texas does MES work?
Statewide. We are based in McKinney and have completed projects from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle. Call (214) 833-6748 to talk about your site.
Projects
Work in Texas.
A 9-acre mini-warehouse site in Georgetown, Texas, where the rezoning was approved and the plat and site development permit are still pending.
Mini-warehouse site entitlements and civil design in Georgetown, Texas
A concrete contractor has a two-phase site master plan and a phase 1 construction set for a project in Hutchins, Texas, revised to answer city review comments.
Site master plan and phase 1 civil set for a concrete contractor
A new car wash site in Fate, Texas got a civil plan set, a TxDOT driveway submittal and a storm design that ties into the site next door.
Car wash site civil design in Fate, Texas
A TCEQ 210E reuse authorization, approved within 6 weeks of submission, let an industrial site in Taylor, Texas, start operations on schedule after the county denied septic.
Industrial zero-discharge reuse in Taylor, TX, approved within 6 weeks of submission
A TCEQ 210E authorization in 10 weeks let a 1.0 MGD mixed-use data center development in San Marcos bypass a discharge permit and its hearings.
1.0 MGD zero-discharge reuse for a mixed-use data center development
Talk to an engineer
Tell us about your project.
An engineer reads it
Not a salesperson. Someone who can tell you whether the pathway is real.
You get a first answer
Your options, the agencies involved and the questions that decide cost and schedule.
You decide
No commitment to have the first call.
Prefer the phone? (214) 833-6748