Harris County, Harris County Flood Control District, City of Houston, and Texas Department of Transportation forms the Storm Water Management Joint Task Force (JTF). In February 2009, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued the JTF a joint Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit that authorizes the JTF to discharge storm water from its MS4. The permit requires the JTF to develop and implement programs to reduce pollutants from its storm water to the maximum extent practicable. Examples of these programs are household hazardous waste collection, public education, illicit discharge detection and elimination, monitoring and sampling, and areas of new development and significant redevelopment.

Industrial facilities that have storm water discharges associated with industrial activity as defined by TCEQ must obtain permit coverage with either an individual permit or with the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Multi.-Sector General Permit (MSGP). Under these permits, industrial facilities have certain requirements designed to reduce pollutants in storm water run-off.

The construction general permit is TXR 150000. This permit requires construction site operators to implement best management practices (BMPs) that will reduce pollutants in storm water run-off. Operators of construction sites that will disturb five or more acres or that are part of a common plan of development or sale that will disturb five or more acres (large construction sites) must submit a TCEQ NOI form to TCEQ. Operators of construction sites that will disturb one or more acres but less than five acres or that are part of a common plan of development or sale that will disturb one or more acres but less than five acres (small construction sites) must post a Construction Site Notice.