Where Do Texas Providers File Aerobic Maintenance Reports?

Texas aerobic maintenance reports are filed with the permitting authority for the property and sent to the owner, both within 14 days after the test (30 TAC §285.7(e)(1)(B)). The permitting authority is “the executive director or an authorized agent” (30 TAC §285.2(51)). Where a county, city, or river authority has a TCEQ-approved OSSF order, that local entity is the permitting authority; where none exists, TCEQ’s regional office is (§285.3(a)(2)).

30 TAC Chapter 285 does not prescribe a delivery method, and Texas has no statewide filing system for maintenance reports. Each permitting authority sets its own channel: county web portals, upload pages, web forms, email to an OSSF inbox, fax, or paper. Some require their own form; others accept the Figure 3 record from 30 TAC §285.90(3).

Find the channel for a specific county at its own page. Whatever the channel, keep a receipt showing the test date and the submission date.

Summarizes public rules as of Oct 5, 2026; not legal advice; verify with your permitting authority.

Who is the permitting authority?

30 TAC §285.3(a)(2): “The executive director is the permitting authority unless a local governmental entity has an OSSF order, ordinance, or resolution approved by the executive director. In areas where the executive director is the permitting authority, the staff from the appropriate regional office shall be responsible for the proper implementation of this chapter.”

An authorized agent is “A local governmental entity that has been delegated the authority by the executive director to implement and enforce the rules adopted under Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 366” (30 TAC §285.2(6)). In practice that is a county, a city, or a river authority. Jurisdictions overlap: a city may be the authorized agent inside its limits while the county covers the rest, and some river authorities cover parts of several counties. The permit itself names the authority that issued the notice of approval (§285.3(e)), and that authority receives the reports.

What does the rule require about delivery?

Three things:

1. Two recipients. “the permitting authority and the owner” (30 TAC §285.7(e)(1)(B)).
2. A deadline. “within 14 days after the date the test is performed” (§285.7(e)(1)(B)).
3. Three copies. Figure 3 in §285.90(3): “One copy shall be retained by the maintenance provider performing the maintenance. The second copy shall be sent to the local permitting authority and the third copy shall be sent to the system owner.”

The words “submitted” and “sent” are not defined. Nothing in the chapter requires a particular portal, form, or format, and nothing prohibits an authority from requiring one under its local order (§285.3(a)(1)).

What channels do Texas permitting authorities use?

Channel	How it typically works	What to keep as the receipt
County or authority web portal	Provider account; report entered field by field or uploaded per permit	Confirmation number, timestamp, and a PDF or screenshot of the submitted record
Document upload page	Upload a PDF of the report against the permit or address	Upload confirmation with file name, date, and time
Web form	Online form that emails the authority; often no login	Auto-reply or confirmation page, saved with date
Email to an OSSF inbox	PDF attached; subject usually includes permit number and address	Sent message with attachment; any reply
Fax	Report faxed to the OSSF office	Transmission confirmation page
Paper by mail or counter	Printed report delivered	Date-stamped copy or mailing record

Which channel applies, and whether the authority requires its own form, is set locally and changes over time. Treat the authority profile as a living record: channel, form version, contact, and any portal quirks (for example, whether a complaint visit is entered as a separate record).

How should the owner copy be sent?

The rule requires the owner to receive the report within the same 14 days but does not say how. Email, a customer portal, or a paper copy left at the property each satisfy “submitted … to the owner” if the owner can access it. Keep the delivery record. Where the owner has an agent (a property manager, for example), the rule still names “the owner”; sending to both is common practice.

What should a receipt show?

The rule is silent on receipts, so the standard is evidentiary: if a permitting authority later says a report is missing, or TCEQ reviews a provider under 30 TAC §285.65, the receipt needs to prove submission inside the window. A complete receipt shows:

• property address and permit or notice-of-approval number (§285.3(e)(2) gives each notice a unique number);
• the test date, because the 14-day clock runs from it;
• the date and time of submission;
• the channel and, for portals, the confirmation identifier;
• the recipient (authority name or inbox) and the owner delivery record;
• the signed report as filed.

Keep this with the retained provider copy. 30 TAC §285.64(a)(2) requires providers to “ensure maintenance of accurate records of fees, inspections, and reports.”

Where TCEQ is the permitting authority

In counties and areas without an authorized agent, reports go to the TCEQ regional office responsible for that area (30 TAC §285.3(a)(2)). TCEQ’s maintenance page gives the OSSF program contact at ossf@tceq.texas.gov and lists regional contacts through its OSSF program pages. Confirm the regional office’s preferred method before the first report is due.

Sources

• 30 TAC §285.7, Maintenance Requirements: https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/30-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-285-7
• 30 TAC §285.3, General Requirements: https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/30-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-285-3
• 30 TAC §285.2, Definitions: https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/30-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-285-2
• TCEQ, Maintenance of On-Site Sewage Facilities: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/ossf/ossfmaintenance.html

Last verified: 2026-10-05. Summarizes public rules as of Oct 5, 2026; not legal advice; verify with your permitting authority.

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