FAQ’s regarding homeowner maintenance of aerobic treatment on-site sewage facilities in Comal County, Texas as of September 1, 2007:


Q: Can a homeowner maintain their own aerobic on-site sewage facility (OSSF)?
A: Yes, if their OSSF serves a single family dwelling.

Q: What kind of training is a homeowner required to take in order to maintain their own aerobic OSSF?
A: Homeowners are not required to take any training in order to maintain their own system.

Q: What kind of testing reports does a homeowner need to submit to the County if they choose to maintain their own aerobic OSSF?
A: Homeowners are not required to submit any maintenance reports to Comal County if they choose to maintain their own system.

Q: Does a homeowner need to contact Comal County to let them know that they will be maintaining their own aerobic OSSF?
A: A homeowner is not required to notify Comal County if they choose to maintain their own aerobic OSSF.

Q: What happens if the County determines that the homeowner is not maintaining their aerobic OSSF correctly?
A: The homeowner must correct the violation within 10 days of notification by Comal County. Otherwise, they will be required to enter into a contract for the maintenance of their aerobic OSSF.

Q: What happens if the County determines that the homeowner commits subsequent violations in maintaining their aerobic OSSF?
A: If the homeowner commits two violations within three years of each other, then the homeowner must enter into a contract for maintenance within 10 days of notification by Comal County.

Q: Can the owner of a commercial business maintain their own aerobic OSSF?
A: No. The only people that are allowed to maintain an aerobic OSSF’s other than licensed maintenance providers are owners of OSSF’s serving single family dwellings.

Q: Are licensed maintenance providers still required to submit testing reports to Comal County?
A: Yes. The reporting requirements for licensed maintenance providers have not changed.

Q: Does Comal County intend to adopt more stringent rules regarding maintenance of single family residential aerobic OSSF’s?
A: At this time, Comal County is required to adhere to the current State statutes and TCEQ regulations regarding homeowner maintenance of single family residential aerobic OSSF’s. See attached TCEQ Guidance Document. The County is considering adopting a more stringent rule that may require homeowners to hire licensed maintenance providers to maintain their single family residential OSSFs or maintain their own OSSFs with required training and report submittals.