TX SB1855

Subdivision plat applications relying on groundwater as the water source must include a statement prepared by a licensed engineer or geoscientist certifying adequate groundwater availability and complying with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules

Municipal authorities and county commissioners courts are required to disapprove plat applications that fail to meet the groundwater certification requirements

TCEQ must establish by rule the appropriate form and content for groundwater certifications and define what constitutes credible evidence of groundwater availability

Counties in priority groundwater management areas may adopt water availability requirements for platted areas to prevent water use from exceeding safe sustainable yield, notwithstanding other Local Government Code provisions

TCEQ must adopt the required rules by January 1, 2026, and the law takes effect on that date, applying only to plat applications filed on or after the effective date