1. (a) The commission shall establish a program to provide oversight and evaluation of the strategic and comprehensive monitoring of water quality and the periodic assessment of water quality in each watershed and river basin of the state.
2. (b) Subject to available funding described in §220.21 of this title (relating to Water Quality Assessment Fees), the commission shall develop cooperative agreements and contracts with river authorities and designated local governments to implement the Clean Rivers Program. These contracts and cooperative agreements will be administered by the commission staff in accordance with the most recent State of Texas Uniform Grants and Contract Management Standards for State Agencies (Texas Government Code, Chapter 783) and any specific requirements of the applicable State General Appropriation Act.

3. (c) As part of the administration of this program the commission will develop Quality Control/Quality Assurance procedures to insure that water quality data collected under this chapter will maintain statewide consistency and will become part of the statewide database to be used in establishing water quality management permitting decisions.

   1. (1) The commission will establish a schedule for review and approval of quality assurance plans and updates which describe procedures to be implemented by contracting agencies. The quality assurance plans will assure that water quality monitoring data are collected consistent with statewide objectives.
   2. (2) The commission program staff will conduct periodic program audits of contractors and subcontractors using a risk-based procedure to insure adherence to the quality assurance procedures.
4. (d) The commission has primary responsibility for implementation of water quality management functions and will implement these functions on a watershed basis in consideration of priorities established by river authorities and basin steering committees. Data collected in accordance with an approved quality assurance plan will be added to the statewide water quality database and used for the development and implementation of water quality management functions of the commission including review and revision of surface water quality standards and wastewater discharge permits.
5. (e) The commission will utilize water quality assessments developed in this program, along with other water quality assessments and studies in determining the need for cities with populations of 10,000 or more to develop water pollution control and abatement programs to reduce water pollution from non-permitted sources.

6. (f) The commission will assess and collect fees from wastewater and water use permit holders as described in §220.21 of this title and will apportion these funds equitably among the basins.

   1. (1) The commission may consolidate fees assessed to wastewater permit holders under this chapter with assessment of the wastewater inspection fee authorized under Texas Water Code, §26.0291.
   2. (2) Revenues collected from wastewater permit holders under this chapter shall be allocated to meet the purposes of this chapter and fees collected under Chapter 305 of this title (relating to Consolidated Permits) shall be allocated to meet purposes of that chapter.
7. (g) The commission, with information provided by each river authority and designated local government, shall file a written report accounting for the costs expended for this program with the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives on or before December 1 of each even-numbered year.

Source Note:The provisions of this §220.3 adopted to be effective June 1, 1998, 23 TexReg 4916.