Relating to requiring backup generation at certain wastewater treatment facilities.

SB 1290 requires small wastewater treatment facilities (under 500,000 gallons per day capacity) to maintain operations during extended power outages exceeding 24 hours. Operators must create and submit emergency plans to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, detailing how they will provide backup power through options like generators, mutual aid agreements with other facilities, or hardening infrastructure. The commission reviews these plans and can require specific backup solutions within 90 days. This directly affects small pre-manufactured wastewater plants across Texas, including extended aeration and sequencing batch reactors. The bill aims to ensure continuous wastewater treatment during natural disasters or grid failures.