Water Quality

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Environmental Services - Environmental Quality
201 NW 2nd Street, Suite 100
972-237-8055
Fax: 972-237-8228

PERMITS AND POLICIES

The Environmental Quality Division reviews all commercial building permits and change of occupancies (CO’s). Environmental Quality reviews plans to ensure that public health is protected and to ensure compliance with federal, state and city ordinances.  A building permit is required for all new construction and any type of remodeling, renovations, rehabs, retrofitting, demolitions, additions, etc. Certificate of Occupancy inspections are required prior to applicants operating their establishments or facilities.  On all plan reviews, Environmental Quality looks for:

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  • Asbestos surveys
  • Potential cross-connections with the public water supply
  • Industrial waste sample points for the sanitary sewer
  • Grease traps, if necessary
  • Compliance with federal, state and local requirements.

Environmental Quality permits and inspects the following types of businesses and facilities:

  • Food  & Alcohol establishments
  • Childcare facilities
  • Manufacturing facilities
  • Swimming pools and Spas
  • Auto Related Businesses
  • Auto Salvage Yard bulk storage
  • Dry cleaning establishments
  • Liquid Waste Haulers
  • On-Site Sewage Facilities
  • Wells – Gas
  • Water Wells

Permit fees for the programs are as follows:

Child Care Facilities

              Registered Child Care Homes    

                            $25.00 annually

               Licensed Child Care Centers            

                   $100.00                Day Care Centers-Application fee for new or extensively remodeled centers

                   $1.00 per/child Permit Fee of $1 per child (state licensed capacity) with $30.00 minimum

Food Establishments include alcohol establishments, Restaurants, Bakeries, Meat markets, Fish or Seafood markets, Deli, Grocery Stores,  Ice and water kiosks, Food Warehouses, Food Manufactures, etc.  

                        $225.00               Yearly renewal (includes Jolly Chef and/or food preparation trucks)

                   $50.00                Change of Owner

                   $150.00              New or Extensively Remodeled

                   $25.00                Food Manager’s Certification

                   $10.00                Duplicate Food Manager’s Certification

                   $10.00                Food Handler's Card

                   $5.00                  Duplicate Food Handler's Card

                   $25.00                Replacement Permit

                   $50.00              Late Fee (annual billing over 60 days

Alcohol Establishments

                 $30.00              Beer Retailer’s Off-Premises

                 $500.00           NEW:  Beer Retailer’s On-Premises (On-Premise)  NOTE:  Fee applies to Dallas and Tarrant Counties only

                 $375.00           RENEWAL:  Beer Retailer’s On-Premises-Renewal (On-Premise)  NOTE:  Fee applies to Dallas and Tarrant Counties only

                 $125.00           Beer Retailer’s On-Premises Late Hours

                 $150.00           General Class B Wholesaler’s Permit

                 $150.00           General Distributor’s License

                 $10.00             Importer’s License

                 $375.00           Mixed Beverages (after 3rd year)

                 $75.00             Mixed Beverages Late Hours (after 3rd year)

                 $375.00           Private Club Later Hours

                 Exempt             Private Club Registration, state exemption from city fees

                 $125.00           Retailer Dealer’s On-Premise Late Hours

                 $937.50           Wholesaler’s Permit

                 $500.00           NEW:  Wine & Beer Retailer’ Permit (On-Premise)  NOTE:  Fee applies to Dallas and Tarrant Counties only

                 $375.00           RENEWAL:  Wine & Beer Retailer’s Permit (On-Premise) 

                                                      NOTE:  Fee applies to Dallas and Tarrant Counties only

                 $30.00             Wine & Beer Retailer’s Off-Premise $37.50      

                                        Wine Only Package Store           Permit (issued with BF when applicant has existing license(s) within the state)

                 $37.50             Winery

                 $600.00           Dance Floor

Itinerant Food Vendors (Flea markets)

                 $125.00        Annually (Flea Markets)

Mobile Food Vendors include Ice cream, Pre-packaged, and Mobile Kitchens

                 $175.00       Permit & ID Photo (includes ice cream & prepackaged catering trucks)

                 $10.00        Additional ID Photo

Temporary food services

                 $50.00        Per Booth (No charge on non-profit organizations or City sponsored events)

Swimming Pools and Spas

                 $100.00      Each new swimming pool/spa application

                 $100.00      Each swimming pool and spa permit

                 $50.00        Late fee (annual permit billing)

                 $25.00        Change of Owner application

                 $15.            Duplicate permit

On-Site Sewage Facilities (Septic Systems)

                $100. 00       Application Fee

                $100.00          Inspection (new or existing)

                $10.00            TCEQ research fee (reimbursed to TCEQ)

 

Wells - Gas Wells

               $5,000.00           Permit for drilling, completion and production operations with a setback of greater than 1,000 feet from a protected use or with a waiver

               $10,000.00       Permit for drilling, completion and production operations with a setback of less than 1,000 feet from a protected use w/o a waiver

               $3,000.00          Blanket gas well permit/each additional well

               $600.00            Amended Permit

               $800.00               Re-work fee (if required per Sec. 13-504(e)

               $600.00            Operator transfer

               $1000.00        Annual fee (per well)

Wells-Water Monitoring

               $25.00               Permit for installation    of new residential well

               $100.00           Permit for drilling, construction, or repair of non-residential well on private property

               $500.00           Permit for drilling, construction, or repair of non-residential well on City           property

                                              (Fees waived for local, state, and federal agencies, and their contractors.         No fees for well plugging.)

 

For more information on permitting procedures, please call Terri Blocker at 972-237-8461

 

Click here for downloadable details on double check valve assemblies and sample point details and approved cross connection device testers.


Select an area of interest:

Brownfields
Many areas across the country once used for industrial and commercial purposes have been abandoned - some are contaminated. Because lenders, investors, and developers fear involvement with these sites could make them liable for cleaning up contamination they did not create, they are more attracted to developing sites in pristine areas, called "greenfields." The result can be blighted areas rife with abandoned industrial facilities. These run-down areas, called "brownfields," create safety and health risks for residents, destroy civic pride, and provide ideal locations for illegal dumping.

 

The City, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has developed a brownfield redevelopment program designed to empower citizens and property owners to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.

Cross Connection

A cross-connection is a point in the plumbing system where the drinking water is connected to a contaminated or non-potable source. Contamination of the water supply results when the non-potable source backflows through the cross-connection into the plumbing system. For example, without a backflow prevention device, antifreeze from a heating system can backflow through a cross-connection and contaminate drinking water.

Backflow

Backflow is the undesirable reversal of water flow potentially bringing contaminants into your drinking water system. The two types of backflow are back-pressure and back-siphonage. Back-siphonage occurs when there is reduced pressure in the drinking water supply line and is frequently caused by under-sized piping, plumbing repairs, a water main break, or activated fire hydrants. Back-pressure occurs when the drinking water system is connected to another, higher pressure system. Common causes are booster pumps and boilers.

Protection

The potential health hazard created by a cross-connection determines the type of device required for backflow prevention. The following are common backflow preventers, methods, and uses.

Installation Requirements

  • Devices must not be installed more than five feet off the ground unless a permanent platform is provided.
  • The device must be accessible to testers.

Permit Requirements
All new installations of backflow devices require a plumbing permit from the City's Building Inspection division. Only a licensed plumber/irrigator may install or replace a backflow prevention device. Environmental Services performs inspections and tests on all new backflow device installations. To schedule a test or for more information on backflow prevention devices, call 972-237-8055.

Fireline Requirements

  • All new firelines require a Double Check Detector Assembly (DCDA).
  • Fireline assemblies can only be tested by a state certified, city registered tester who is a full-time employee of a licensed fireline contractor.
Environmental Site Assessments
The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) requires Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) for commercial and industrial real-estate purchases. CERCLA states that landowners are financially liable for all environmental problems associated with the storage or release of a hazardous substance on their property. An ESA is conducted to:
1) Identify existing or potential environmental hazards;
2) Identify resources with natural, cultural, recreational, or scientific values of specific importance;
3) Recommend whether further investigation is required.
Because these rules apply to municipalities, the Environmental Services Department conducts environmental assessments for the City.

Liquid Waste
The City's liquid waste ordinance was passed in 1986 and regulates the generation, transportation, and disposal of liquid wastes, i.e. grease traps, sand/grit traps, chemical toilets, and septic system wastes.

Through the annual permitting process, the Environmental Services Department ensures all liquid waste disposal companies operating within Grand Prairie have current state and city permits, maintain accurate documentation of manifests required for generation, transportation and disposal of wastes, and maintain equipment.

Approximately 65 vehicles are permitted yearly. The cost is $100 for the first truck permitted and $50 for each additional truck. In addition, purchase of a manifest book is required for all transporters with the exception of those companies disposing of only waste from chemical toilets. This requires reporting to ESD on a quarterly basis.

Permits / fees

  • Auto salvage yard bulk storage
    $ 50.00 Annual bulk storage inspection fee
  • Bacteria samples / drinking water
    $ 11.50 Per sample

           $ 169.57 TPH soil sample

  • Cross connection control
    $ 50.00 Tester registration
    $ 16.50 Testers inspection book (including tax)
    $ 100.00 Installation inspection
    $ 50.00 Reinspection of failed devices
    $ 25.00 Yearly fee / per device
  • Liquid waste haulers
    $ 100.00 1st truck
    $ 50.00 Each for additional trucks
    $ 16.50 Trip ticket books (including tax)
Underground Storage Tanks
Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) are most commonly used to store gasoline, diesel, and oil. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates approximately 1.1 million federally regulated USTs are buried at over 400,000 sites nationwide.

Until the mid-1980s, most USTs were made of bare steel and likely to corrode over time and allow the contents to leak into the ground and into groundwater. Such contamination of groundwater poses a significant threat to the major sources of drinking water for many Americans.

The TCEQ is the governing authority for all USTs in Texas and they mandate registration of all USTs. As of December 22, 1999, all USTs were required to comply with new corrosion protection regulations.

In Grand Prairie all UST installations, modifications, and removals require a building permit from the Building Inspections Division. The Environmental Services Department requires a Preliminary Bulk Storage Tank Report and Tank Information Report to be completed prior to the issuance of a Building Permit for all UST modifications and removals.

TCEQ PST and UST Registration Assistance
TCEQ UST Publications
EPA UST Overview

 

Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know (SARA Title III)
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 established requirements for Federal, State and local governments and industry regarding emergency planning and "Community Right-to-Know" reporting on hazardous and toxic chemicals. The law builds upon EPA's Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program (CEPP) and numerous State and local plans aimed at helping communities better meet their responsibilities in regarding potential chemical emergencies. The Community Right-to-Know provisions are intended to help increase the public's knowledge and access to information on the presence of hazardous chemicals in their communities and releases of these chemicals into the environment.

EPA Toxic Release Inventory Information
EPA EPCRA Fact Sheet
EPA Environmental Information
Texas Department of Health Hazard Communication (Tier II)

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