What TCEQ’s 30 TAC Chapter 210 Actually Requires for Effluent Quality Under a 210E Authorization

What does "210E" cover?

It is 30 TAC Chapter 210, Subchapter E, the rules for industrial reclaimed water. "210E" is TCEQ's own shorthand. Subchapter E sits on top of the general reclaimed water rules in the rest of Chapter 210, and it sorts industrial water into two levels.

Level I covers listed streams used on site. 30 TAC §210.53 lists them: condensate, non-contact and once-through cooling water, water treatment filter backwash, plain building and pavement wash water, cooling tower blowdown below 2,000 mg/L total dissolved solids, and water that tests at or below the rule's threshold table.

Level II covers the rest. Under §210.53(b), that includes water above the thresholds, off-site use, an end use not on the Level I list, and industrial reclaimed water that contains any domestic wastewater. Level II needs written TCEQ approval before use.

TCEQ's reclaimed water page sums up the sampling split. Level II water must be sampled to certify it as reclaimed water. Level I water used on site need not be sampled unless it comes from cooling tower blowdown.

What limits apply to purely industrial Level II water?

Total organic carbon and pH, by default. Under 30 TAC §210.56(d)(1), TOC is limited to 55 mg/L, monitored once a month by grab sample. The pH stays between 6.0 and 9.0, monitored weekly by grab sample.

Those are a floor, not a ceiling. The executive director may impose more limits or more frequent monitoring in your authorization, so read the letter as well as the rule. Sampling is required only in periods when reuse happens (§210.56(d)(2)).

For this water, §210.56(a)(6) switches off the domestic quality sections, §§210.31 to 210.36, and §210.22(a) and (e). Section 210.56(a)(3) also says the producer is not required to treat the water or hold a permit for treatment and disposal under §§210.1 and 210.5(a).

Is industrial reclaimed water held to Type I quality?

It is "considered equivalent" to Type I, which is not the same as meeting the Type I table. Section 210.56(h) says that under Level I and Level II authorizations, industrial reclaimed water is considered equivalent to Type I reclaimed water. The same paragraph sends the producer, provider and user to the pond liner rules.

Read that next to §210.56(a)(6). For a purely industrial stream, the numeric limits are the §210.56(d) limits and whatever your authorization adds. The Type I table applies to the water when it is commingled. Your authorization letter controls.

What changes when domestic wastewater is mixed in?

The stream becomes commingled water, and the domestic rules apply. Section 210.52(3) defines commingled wastewater as industrial wastewater that contains any amount of domestic wastewater. One restroom line is enough.

Under §210.56(a)(1), paragraphs (2) through (6), the treatment and permit waiver included, do not apply to commingled water. Instead it must comply with:

• §§210.1 to 210.9, the general provisions, notification and responsibilities;
• §§210.21 to 210.25, storage, irrigation and system design criteria;
• §§210.31 to 210.36, the specific uses, quality standards, sampling and reporting.

Commingled streams can still get a Level II authorization under §210.53(b)(2). The rule does not say in so many words whether that also means a separate treatment permit. Confirm the path with TCEQ before design starts. Our 210E work includes a reuse authorization for a mixed-use development in San Marcos, and on any mixed stream this question comes first.

What are the Type I and Type II limits?

Type I is the tighter set, for uses where the public is likely to touch the water. Section 210.33 sets the limits on a 30-day average and publishes them as a table graphic. EPA's summary of the Texas reuse rules lists Type I as:

• BOD5 or CBOD5 of 5 mg/L;
• turbidity of 3 NTU;
• fecal coliform or E. coli of 20 CFU/100 mL as a geometric mean and 75 CFU/100 mL as a single sample maximum;
• Enterococci of 4 CFU/100 mL as a geometric mean and 9 CFU/100 mL as a single sample maximum.

Type II allows more. EPA lists BOD5 of 20 mg/L or CBOD5 of 15 mg/L for systems without ponds, and BOD5 of 30 mg/L for pond systems. Fecal coliform or E. coli is 200 CFU/100 mL as a geometric mean and 800 as a single sample maximum.

Sampling follows the type. Commingled water is sampled twice a week for Type I uses and weekly for Type II under §210.34, with monthly reports under §210.36.

Which uses need Type I water?

The ones where people are likely to contact it. 30 TAC §210.32(1) lists residential landscapes, parks, unrestricted golf courses, school grounds and athletic fields, fire protection, food crops where the water may touch the edible part, pastures for milking animals, ponds where wading or fishing is expected, and toilet and urinal flushing.

Type II, under §210.32(2), covers restricted or remote areas such as sod farms and limited-access highway rights of way, crops the water will not touch, animal feed crops, dust control and soil compaction, and cooling tower makeup water.

Type I water may serve a Type II use, but Type II water may only serve Type II uses (§210.32(3)). A residential common area on Type II water is the wrong water, however close the numbers look. Our post on Type I vs. Type II reclaimed water covers the use list in more depth.

Does the rule tell you what treatment to build?

No. It sets limits, and the design has to hold them in every sampling period. EPA's summary notes that the Texas rule does not specify treatment processes. The water simply has to meet the table.

That puts the process choice on your engineer, and it should follow the classification, not lead it. Holding 3 NTU and a low bacteria count through daily flow swings is a different design problem from holding a TOC limit on a cooling water stream.

How does storage affect quality compliance?

Storage is part of the quality system, not just a holding feature. Under 30 TAC §210.23, initial holding ponds must be lined, unless the water is kept in leak-proof fabricated tanks. A Texas-registered professional engineer certifies the liner before use, and storage stays out of the floodway.

Subchapter E adds two duties for industrial reuse ponds in §210.56(g): keep at least two feet of freeboard, and never use the pond for disposal.

How do you check your classification before design?

Answer each question before anyone picks equipment. A "not sure" is a question for TCEQ.

1. Does any domestic wastewater, even one restroom line, enter the stream?
2. Is every source on the Level I list in §210.53(a), and is all use on site?
3. Is each end use listed in §210.56(b)(2), or does one push you to Level II?
4. For a commingled stream, is each end use Type I or Type II under §210.32?
5. Do you have effluent test results for the parameters that apply, or a plan to get them?
6. Has TCEQ confirmed the authorization path for a commingled stream?

A note on limits: this is general education on 30 TAC Chapter 210 as published in October 2026. Your authorization can add limits and monitoring, and TCEQ decides how the rules apply to your water, so check the current rule and your own letter with your engineer.

Frequently asked questions

Does a restroom connection change the quality rules?

Yes. Any domestic wastewater makes the stream commingled under §210.52(3). Commingled water must meet the domestic quality standards and sampling rules in §§210.31 to 210.36.

Can Type II water irrigate a residential common area?

No. Residential landscape irrigation is a Type I use under §210.32(1).

I'm building a distribution warehouse in Central Texas with HVAC condensate and a small restroom flow, and I want to irrigate the landscaping. Which quality standard do I design to?

It depends on whether the streams mix. If the restroom flow joins the condensate, the water is commingled and the Type I or Type II standards apply by end use. If they stay separate, the condensate may be a Level I stream. Confirm the path with TCEQ before design.

I'm a Texas civil engineer reviewing a client's Level II authorization letter. Where do I find the sampling frequency we have to meet?

Start with the letter, because TCEQ may set extra limits or frequencies there. For purely industrial water, the defaults are in §210.56(d). For commingled water, §210.34 sets twice a week for Type I uses and weekly for Type II.

Related resources

• 210E Authorization Compliance: Why "No Expiration" Doesn't Mean No Deadlines for Texas Developers
• How Mixed-Use Developments Qualify for 210E Even When 90% of Their Flow Is Residential
• The Design Mistake That Turns a 210E Authorization Into a TCEQ Violation
• How to Size a Wastewater Storage Reservoir for a Texas Reuse Project

Not sure which quality standard your reuse water has to meet?

We settle the classification first, then design the treatment, storage and sampling to the limits that actually apply.

We specialize in:

• 210E and Chapter 210 reuse authorizations
• TCEQ wastewater permitting
• Wastewater treatment and reuse system design
• Reuse area and storage design
• Site feasibility and due diligence

Modern Engineering Solutions, McKinney, Texas. Contact: (214) 833-6748 or mod-eng.com