Clean Water Act discharge permit · NPDES TX0088153
CITY OF HOUSTON UPPER BRAYS WWTP, Houston, TX: NPDES TX0088153 discharge permit, effluent exceedances, inspections, penalties
- Administratively continuedPermit status
- MajorDischarger class
- 52Pollutants under a numeric limit
- 7Pollutants with an effluent exceedance
CITY OF HOUSTON UPPER BRAYS WWTP, held by HOUSTON, CITY OF, holds NPDES permit TX0088153, which discharges to Houston Ship Channel/Buffalo Bayou Tidal. EPA’s file records it issued November 27, 2019 and expiring November 27, 2024. The status and dates are as EPA’s permit file stood when Velarion loaded it (September 14, 2026); EPA’s free Detailed Facility Report on ECHO carries the permit’s current standing.
Identity
| Facility as filed | CITY OF HOUSTON UPPER BRAYS WWTP |
|---|---|
| Permittee as filed | HOUSTON, CITY OF |
| NPDES ID | TX0088153 |
| Permit status | Administratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued) |
| Permit type | Individual permit |
| Discharger class | Major discharger |
| Facility type | Publicly owned treatment works |
| Program | Publicly owned treatment works |
| Issued | November 27, 2019 |
| Expiration date | November 27, 2024 |
| Address | Houston, TX 77082 |
| Receiving water | Houston Ship Channel/Buffalo Bayou Tidal |
| Subwatershed | Keegans Bayou-Brays Bayou (HUC 120401040401) |
Cited to the EPA ICIS-NPDES permit file (ECHO download).
Effluent limits and exceedances
- 65Pollutants on file
- 52Under a numeric limit
- 24With a violation of any kind
- 7With an effluent exceedance
An effluent exceedance is a discharge monitoring report value over the permit’s numeric limit (EPA’s violation code E90). A violation of any kind also counts a report not filed. Each row is EPA’s own count for that pollutant; the 60 with the most exceedances of 65 are shown.
| Pollutant or measure | Limits | Violations, any kind | Effluent exceedances | Latest exceedance | Largest exceedance, as filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen, ammonia total [as N] | 6 | 67 | 67 | July 31, 2024 | 667% over the limit |
| E. coli | 4 | 48 | 48 | July 31, 2026 | 99,999% over the limit |
| Solids, total suspended | 3 | 47 | 47 | July 31, 2026 | 1,438% over the limit |
| BOD, carbonaceous [5 day, 20 C] | 3 | 36 | 35 | February 28, 2025 | 99,999% over the limit |
| Whole Effluent Toxicity [WET] - C. dubia | 2 | 28 | 28 | March 31, 2018 | 46% over the limit |
| Whole Effluent Toxicity [WET] - P. promelas | 2 | 12 | 12 | September 30, 2017 | 43% over the limit |
| Whole effluent toxicity | 0 | 4 | 4 | September 30, 2008 | 99,999% over the limit |
| Low Flow Pass/Fail Survival Test Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| NOEC Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| NOEC Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Pass/Fail Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| LOEC Lethal Survival Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| LOEC Sub-Lethal Reproduction Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Whole effluent toxicity - retest #1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Whole effluent toxicity - retest #2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Low Flow Pass/Fail Survival Test Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| NOEC Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| NOEC Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Pass/Fail Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pinephales promelas | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| LOEC Lethal Survival Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| LOEC Sub-Lethal Reproduction Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| pH | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Chlorine, total residual | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Oxygen, dissolved [DO] | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Arsenic, dry weight | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Chromium, sludge, total, dry weight [as Cr] | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Flow, in conduit or thru treatment plant | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Selenium, dry weight | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Copper, dry weight | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Cadmium, dry weight | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Molybdenum, sludge, total, dry weight [as Mo] | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Zinc, sludge, total, dry weight [as Zn] | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Lead, sludge, total, dry weight [as Pb] | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Nickel, sludge, total, dry weight [as Ni] | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Mercury, sludge, total, dry weight [as Hg] | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Nickel, total [as Ni] | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Level of pathogen requirements achieved | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Description of pathogen option used | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Vector attraction reduction alternative used | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Low Flow Pass/Fail Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Low Flow Pass/Fail Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Low Flow Pass/Fail Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Low Flow Pass/Fail Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Ceriodaphnia dubia | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| IC25 Sub-Lethal Static Renewal 7 Day Chronic Pimephales promelas | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Fecal coliform | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs] | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual whole sludge application rate | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ann. amt sludge disposed by other method | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual amt of sludge incinerated | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual sludge production, total | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual amount of sludge land applied | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual amt. sludge disposed surface unit | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual amt sludge disposed in landfill | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Annual amt sludge transported interstate | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Unit w/liner/leachate collection system | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Compliance w/part 258 sludge requirement | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Cited to the EPA ICIS-NPDES limits and effluent violations files (ECHO download); up to 60 rows shown, most exceedances first.
Inspections, violations and enforcement
- 21Single-event violations
| Date | What EPA recorded | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| July 13, 2026 | Permit Violations - Violation Specified in Comment | ST6 |
| November 20, 2023 | Dry-weather SSO discharge to waters of the U.S. that may endanger health or the environment | EP6 |
| October 24, 2023 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| December 16, 2022 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| November 21, 2022 | Dry-weather SSO discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| September 13, 2022 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| September 7, 2022 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| September 1, 2022 | Dry-weather SSO discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| October 19, 2021 | Dry-weather SSO discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| October 11, 2021 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| September 29, 2021 | Permit Violations - Violation Specified in Comment | ST6 |
| July 4, 2021 | Dry-weather SSO discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| June 10, 2021 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| May 20, 2021 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| December 28, 2020 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| December 27, 2020 | Dry-weather SSO discharge to waters of the U.S., not permit compliant, no endangerment | EP6 |
| May 13, 2020 | WW SSO - Discharge to Waters | EP6 |
| March 11, 2020 | Dry-weather SSO, no discharge to waters of the U.S., that may endanger health or the environment | EP6 |
| September 28, 2019 | WW SSO - Overflow to Dry Land or Building Backup | EP6 |
| May 16, 2018 | Permit Violations - Violation Specified in Comment | ST6 |
| February 23, 2018 | WW SSO - Discharge to Waters | EP6 |
Velarion’s copy of EPA’s ICIS-NPDES files does not include the inspections, formal enforcement actions and informal enforcement actions files, so this page shows none of them. EPA’s free Detailed Facility Report on ECHO lists this permit’s inspections, enforcement actions and penalties.
Cited to the EPA ICIS-NPDES violation, inspection and enforcement files (ECHO download); up to 50 rows of each shown, newest first.
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Figures from EPA’s ICIS-NPDES download, loaded September 14, 2026.