TEXAS · TCEQ REGION 12 · 13 COUNTIES
Aerobic septic systems in TCEQ Region 12 (Houston)
TCEQ Region 12 office (Houston)
5425 Polk St, Ste H, Houston TX 77023-1452
Main line: 713-767-3500
TCEQ does not permit septic systems in any of these 13 counties. For an OSSF permit or a maintenance report, use the county's authorized agent in the table below.
From TCEQ's regional office directory, read Oct 31, 2026.
TCEQ Region 12 (Houston) covers 13 Texas counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller and Wharton.
All 13 counties permit on-site sewage facilities through a local authorized agent (a county or a health district), and maintenance reports go to that agent.
Reports are due within 14 days after the test (30 TAC §285.7(e)(1)(B)). The filing channel is confirmed for 1 of the 13 counties. The rest have not published it, and their pages say so.
66,761 aerobic systems were authorized across the region from 2015 to 2025. In 2025, 5,689 of the region’s 6,023 on-site sewage facility authorizations were aerobic (94.5%).
Counties in TCEQ Region 12 (Houston)
| COUNTY | PERMITTING AUTHORITY | HOW TO FILE | AEROBIC 2015–25 | AEROBIC 2025 | MPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | Austin County | Not confirmed | 915 | 87 | 8 |
| Brazoria | Brazoria County | Not confirmed | 8,356 | 654 | 31 |
| Chambers | Chambers County | Not confirmed | 1,583 | 156 | 6 |
| Colorado | Colorado County | Not confirmed | 806 | 140 | 3 |
| Fort Bend | Fort Bend County | portal · Confirmed | 5,470 | 461 | 23 |
| Galveston | Galveston County Health District | Not confirmed | 3,940 | 244 | 11 |
| Harris | Harris County | Not confirmed | 7,931 | 667 | 55 |
| Liberty | Liberty County | Not confirmed | 6,168 | 559 | 18 |
| Matagorda | Matagorda County | Not confirmed | 1,530 | 148 | 6 |
| Montgomery | Montgomery County | Not confirmed | 21,617 | 1,834 | 75 |
| Walker | Walker County | Not confirmed | 3,423 | 283 | 18 |
| Waller | Waller County | Not confirmed | 3,331 | 307 | 15 |
| Wharton | Wharton County | Not confirmed | 1,691 | 149 | 13 |
MPs are licensed OSSF maintenance providers whose license mailing address is in the county. Each provider is counted once, where it is based; many also work in neighboring counties.
Permits across the region, 2015–2025
| YEAR | ALL OSSF | SURFACE (SPRAY) | DRIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5,719 | 4,301 | 921 |
| 2016 | 5,988 | 4,522 | 955 |
| 2017 | 6,060 | 4,573 | 897 |
| 2018 | 6,322 | 4,645 | 1,131 |
| 2019 | 6,395 | 4,845 | 1,066 |
| 2020 | 7,459 | 5,440 | 1,394 |
| 2021 | 7,902 | 5,814 | 1,533 |
| 2022 | 8,082 | 5,834 | 1,722 |
| 2023 | 6,339 | 4,659 | 1,272 |
| 2024 | 5,947 | 4,389 | 1,159 |
| 2025 | 6,023 | 4,534 | 1,155 |
Authorizations to Construct from the eleven annual TCEQ “Types of Systems Installed” reports, summed over the region’s counties. Surface irrigation and drip both require aerobic pretreatment. The statewide dataset has the CSV, and the 2025 report compares the regions.
The rules are the same in every county
- · An aerobic system with surface application is tested every four months (30 TAC §285.91(4), Table IV). How often systems are inspected.
- · Each report goes to the permitting authority and the owner within 14 days of the test (30 TAC §285.7(e)(1)(B)). The deadline rule.
- · A new aerobic system starts with a two-year service policy (30 TAC §285.7(c)). After that the owner renews the maintenance contract or, for a single-family home, may maintain the system themselves where local rules allow (§285.7(d)(4)). What the contract must say.
Common questions
Which counties are in TCEQ Region 12 (Houston)?
13 Texas counties: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller and Wharton.
Who permits aerobic septic systems in TCEQ Region 12 (Houston)?
All 13 counties permit on-site sewage facilities through a local authorized agent (a county or a health district), and maintenance reports go to that agent.
How many aerobic septic systems were permitted in the Houston region?
66,761 aerobic systems were authorized across the region from 2015 to 2025. In 2025, 5,689 of the region’s 6,023 on-site sewage facility authorizations were aerobic (94.5%).
When is an aerobic maintenance report due in TCEQ Region 12 (Houston)?
Within 14 days after the date the test is performed, everywhere in Texas. 30 TAC §285.7(e)(1)(B) requires the report to go to the permitting authority and to the system owner.
The other fifteen TCEQ regions
Data as of Oct 5, 2026, from the TCEQ authorized-agent register, the OSSF license register, the annual “Types of Systems Installed” reports and the counties’ own pages. How we research and check this. Not legal advice. Verify with your permitting authority.