Septic System Permit Required Outside City Sewer Service

Texas calls a septic system an On-Site Sewage Facility, or OSSF. If your land is outside city sewer service, you need a county permit before you put one in. You also need a permit to replace or change an existing system.

Bastrop County's Development Services office handles these permits. It acts as the local agent for the state agency TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality). That means you apply to the county, not the state.

The process starts with a site check. A licensed professional tests your soil and surveys your lot. That test tells you what type of system will work on your land.

Common types include a standard gravity-fed septic tank, an aerobic treatment unit, and a low-pressure system. Aerobic units need an ongoing service contract with a licensed provider.

To apply, you'll need proof you own the land, a site plan, and the evaluator's report. Drop it off at Bastrop County Development Services at 211 Jackson Street, Bastrop. Go to bastropcounty.gov to get the current form and see the fees. TCEQ's website also has easy-to-read guides for buyers and owners.