Before continuous water service for new construction is established, Texas law requires an inspection of the private water-distribution system as a way to ensure that the water is safe to drink. This type of customer service inspection is required in Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Subsection 290.46(j).
All the rules in 30 TAC 290, Subchapter D, are administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). These rules are contained in the TCEQ publication, Rules, and Regulations for Public Water Systems, RG-195.
The purpose of a customer service inspection is to identify whether one of two potential sources of contamination exists. One is a cross connection—an actual or potential connection between a drinking water supply and a possible source of contamination or pollution. The other potential source of contamination is lead plumbing materials.
