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Texas SWPPP (SWP3): what TXR150000 asks for, and TCEQ's template
In Texas the plan is called an SWP3, and TCEQ's construction general permit TXR150000 governs it. Any site disturbing an acre or more needs one before work starts. Sites of 1 to under 5 acres post a site notice and file nothing; 5 acres or more file an NOI in STEERS for $225. TCEQ's free RG-639 Word template follows the permit.
The permit
TXR150000 took effect March 5, 2023 and expires March 5, 2028; TCEQ held a stakeholder meeting on its renewal on June 9, 2026. It covers construction that disturbs an acre or more and discharges stormwater to surface water in the state. Texas runs its own program, so EPA's permit and EPA's 2027 changes don't apply to ordinary Texas sites.
Small site or large site
| Small: 1 to under 5 acres | Large: 5 acres or more | |
|---|---|---|
| SWP3 | Yes, before work starts | Yes, before coverage and before work starts |
| NOI | None | Primary operators file in STEERS |
| Fee | None | $225 online, $325 on paper (with a waiver from e-reporting) |
| Site notice | Small Construction Site Notice, TCEQ-20963, posted 2 days before work | Large Construction Site Notice, TCEQ-20961, posted before work |
| MS4 copy | Copy of the site notice to the MS4 operator 2 days before work | Copy of the signed NOI to the MS4 operator and secondary operators 2 days before work |
| Coverage starts | Automatically, if you meet the conditions | Immediately on an electronic NOI; 48 hours after the postmark on paper |
| Ending it | Within 30 days of final stabilization, remove the site notice, complete its removal section and copy it to the MS4 | Notice of Termination within 30 days of final stabilization |
TCEQ's small-site page puts it plainly: "No notice of intent (NOI), notice of termination (NOT), or fee is required under this option," as long as you meet the permit. The SWP3 is still required.
Two ways out for small sites: the Low Rainfall Erosivity Waiver, for 1 to 5 acres where the erosivity factor is under 5 for the work period, which also excuses the SWP3; and automatic authorization during periods of low erosion potential listed by county in the permit's Appendix A.
What a Texas SWP3 must contain
Part III.F lists the contents. TCEQ's RG-639 template (May 2023) puts each in a worksheet with the permit part it answers:
| RG-639 section | What you write |
|---|---|
| Shared SWP3 certification page | Signature of every primary and secondary operator sharing the plan |
| General site information | The work, potential pollutants and their sources, discharge locations, receiving waters and whether they're impaired |
| Schedule of major grading | Each phase with start and end dates, acres disturbed and who's responsible |
| Acreage and soil type | Total and disturbed acres, including support areas; soil description |
| Location and detailed site maps | A general location map; detailed maps with boundaries, controls, buffers, support areas, vehicle exits, wash and washout areas, flow direction |
| Support activities | Off-site staging, storage, fueling and repair areas, logged |
| Authorization documents | The NOI or site notice, MS4 copies, delegation of signatories |
| BMPs and sediment controls | Each control, where it goes and when; sediment basin calculations where required |
| Allowable non-stormwater discharges | Listed sources and how they're controlled |
| Inspections and dewatering | Inspectors, the schedule, dewatering observation, adverse conditions log |
Rules that catch people out
- Sediment basins at 10 acres. A common drainage location serving 10 or more disturbed acres at once needs a basin where feasible, sized for the 2-year, 24-hour storm from each disturbed acre, or 3,600 cubic feet per acre drained if you can't calculate it. Put the calculation in the SWP3.
- Stabilization. Start stabilizing by the end of the next workday when work stops on an area for more than 14 days; finish temporary stabilization within 14 days of starting it.
- Edwards Aquifer. In the recharge or contributing zone, an approved Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan comes before construction, under 30 TAC Chapter 213.
- Primary and secondary operators. The one with day-to-day control is primary; the owner who controls the plans is often secondary. Each prepares an SWP3 or signs a shared one.
- Updates and records. Revise the SWP3 and map within 7 days of a significant change; keep records for 3 years after coverage ends.
Inspections
At least every 14 calendar days and within 24 hours after a storm of 0.5 inches or more, or every 7 days if the SWP3 says so (Part III.F.8). Stabilized areas drop to monthly, and arid, semi-arid and drought-stricken areas inspect monthly plus after 0.5-inch storms. The inspector must know the permit, the site and the SWP3; no certification is named, and the inspector needn't have signatory authority. See SWPPP inspection forms for what each report records.
Who can prepare a Texas SWP3
TXR150000 names no professional license or certification for the preparer. What it requires is the signature of each operator on the plan, and TCEQ Form 20403 lets a signatory delegate an authorized representative. Engineering judgments, such as a basin design, still need someone qualified to make them. California is different; see who can write a SWPPP.
Filling in RG-639, step by step
- Confirm the disturbed area, including support areas off-site and the common plan, to decide small or large.
- Check the Edwards Aquifer map viewer and the Appendix A low-erosion periods for your county.
- Find the receiving water and whether it's impaired, with EPA's How's My Waterway.
- Fill in the site information, phases and acreage worksheets from your grading plan.
- Pick controls for each phase (RG-639 lists examples, and many cities publish their own criteria) and draw them on the site map with flow arrows.
- Name the inspectors, choose 7-day or 14-day-plus-rain inspections, and set up the rain gauge.
- Sign the certification page, post the site notice, send the MS4 copies, and file the NOI if you're large.
Ways to get it done
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| TCEQ RG-639 | Free | Word or PDF template, English or Spanish; you write it |
| ePlan | Free to read; $49 per document | A drafted SWPPP from four questions and public data, marked for you to check; the NOI and an inspection form are separate documents |
| Smart SWPPP (Austin) | $599 under 5 acres, $699 for 5+; NOI only $99 | A prepared SWP3, site notices and City of Austin or Travis County submittals, 72 hours |
| Local consultant | By quote | A prepared plan, often with inspections and NOI filing |
ePlan's draft is a starting point that the operator who signs it has to check; it isn't stamped, and it doesn't draw the site map. If you'd like to see one for your address first, ePlan's SWPPP page drafts it free to read. Smart SWPPP's prices are on its Austin page. More on prices in the cost guide.
Questions
Is a SWP3 the same as a SWPPP?
Yes. TCEQ calls the stormwater pollution prevention plan an SWP3; it plays the same role as a SWPPP under EPA's permit, with Texas's own required contents.
Do I need to submit my SWP3 to TCEQ?
No. The permit has you keep it on site, or post a notice saying where it is if the site is inactive, and show it at inspections to TCEQ, local officials and the MS4 operator, usually within 24 hours of a request if it's kept elsewhere. An electronic copy is fine if an inspector can read it on the spot.
How much is the Texas NOI fee?
$225 filed in STEERS, or $325 on paper if you hold a waiver from electronic reporting. There's no separate annual fee, and small sites pay nothing.
Related guides
- SWPPP template: which one your permit wants, and how to fill it in
- SWPPP notice of intent: how to file the NOI, in order
- SWPPP cost: what a plan, the permit and the inspections cost
About this page
This guide is published by Winding AI, Inc., the company that makes ePlan, one of the ways to get a SWPPP drafted that this site compares. We make money when someone pays ePlan to download a document or subscribes; we earn nothing from links to agencies or other products, and links to ePlan carry a tag so ePlan can count visits from here. Every fact on this page was read from the source it links to on the date shown above.