When an Anaqua Springs Ranch home sells, two water systems change hands, and different authorities oversee each one. Fresh water arrives underground from SAWS. Wastewater stays on the lot, where the community's own description says the homeowner "provides & maintains" a septic system. Buyers expect the water service. The septic permit passes to the buyer on its own under Texas rules, along with any obligations attached to it.
That changes what a careful purchase here looks like. A buyer's due diligence for the septic system starts with permits, contracts and maintenance reports, and it can start well before an inspector lifts a lid.
Two Systems, Two Sets of Rules
Anaqua Springs Ranch sits in far northwest Bexar County near Boerne. The community lists underground utilities: SAWS water, CPS electric, and GVTC for internet, phone and cable. Sewer is missing from that list. Each lot handles its own wastewater through what Texas regulators call an on-site sewage facility, or OSSF.
| Water | Wastewater | |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides it | San Antonio Water System | The homeowner's own on-site system |
| Who sets the rules | SAWS drought ordinance | Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules, applied locally by Bexar County |
| What happens at sale | SAWS drought rules continue to apply to the property | The OSSF permit transfers to the buyer automatically |
| What it asks of the owner | Watering days, hours and usage surcharges by drought stage | Upkeep, plus a current maintenance contract for aerobic systems under Bexar County's stated approach |
Buyers usually look harder at the water column because it shows up on a monthly bill. The wastewater column is the one with obligations that follow the property from one owner to the next.
The Permit That Moves Without a Signature
Texas rules on septic systems sit in Chapter 285 of Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code. Section 285.3 says a person needs a permit and an approved plan to build, alter, repair, extend or operate an OSSF. The same section spells out what happens when the property sells:
"Permits shall be transferred to a new owner automatically upon sale or other legal transfer of an OSSF."
The text of 30 TAC Chapter 285 also lets the permitting authority attach conditions to a permit. It treats failure to meet those conditions as a violation. A buyer takes over the permit and its conditions at the same time.
Systems that need continuous maintenance carry an extra layer. Before construction can be authorized, the owner of one of these systems has to record an affidavit in the county deed records. That affidavit must state that the property has an OSSF requiring continuous maintenance and that the permit transfers to the new owner when the property does. For a single-family aerobic treatment system, it must also state that after the initial two-year service policy, the owner will either get a maintenance contract within 30 days of the transfer or maintain the system personally.
The 30-day clock starts at the transfer, which usually means closing day. If the home sells during that initial two-year service policy, the state rules keep the policy in effect for the buyer. The community page doesn't say whether a given home has an aerobic or conventional system, and the answer decides which of these provisions applies.
Bexar County Reads the Aerobic Rule More Strictly
At the state level, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says that two years after an aerobic unit is installed, homeowners can do the maintenance themselves for qualifying systems. That covers secondary treatment, non-standard treatment, drip irrigation and surface application systems. TCEQ adds that some local permitting authorities have adopted stricter requirements, "which may require homeowner training or even a prohibition against homeowner maintenance."
Bexar County's draft 2025 stormwater annual report covers January through September 2025. It says the county "has established a renewal permit that requires septic owners to maintain septic systems" and that "aerobic systems are required to have a current maintenance contract." In the same period, the county logged 171 repair permits for failing systems and carried out 1,510 drive-by inspections of priority areas.
On aerobic systems, the county's stated approach reads stricter than the state minimum. A new owner who expects to self-maintain under TCEQ's general allowance should confirm with Bexar County first. The county's On-Site Sewage Facilities page is the starting point. For property-record questions, the county directory lists OSSF staff at 210-335-3822, 210-335-6772 and 210-335-3819.
A Maintenance Contract Leaves a Paper Trail
A maintenance contract creates records, and the right records go a long way in a transaction. TCEQ's maintenance guidance says the contract has to be with a licensed maintenance provider, and that provider is an individual person. At a minimum, the provider must:
- Put a tag or other identification on the system at the start of each contract, then punch or mark it at every visit, including visits for owner complaints.
- Inspect the components at each visit and note whether every one is working. If one isn't, the property owner must have it repaired.
- Test the system as the state rules require.
- Send a report to both the permitting authority and the owner at least once every four months, within 14 days after the test.
- Include all owner complaints and electronic monitoring notices in those reports.
The reporting interval can stretch to six months when the system has an electronic monitor or an automatic radio or telephone alert that tells the provider about failures and tracks disinfection levels.
For a home with an aerobic system under contract, this means a seller who kept up with maintenance can show a record of punched tag visits and periodic reports. Those reports also went to the permitting authority, so the county may hold its own copies. TCEQ's advice page for septic owners tells buyers to notify the local permitting authority after a purchase. It also notes that a lender may require an evaluation before the sale, while TCEQ itself neither requires nor regulates that evaluation.
Day-to-day costs belong in the budget as well. TCEQ tells owners to plan for maintenance contracts, repairs and replacement mechanical parts. In a community with no central sewer, those costs fall on each owner every year.
The Disclosure Form Asks the First Questions
On the seller's side, the septic system appears in the Texas Real Estate Commission's Seller's Disclosure Notice, form 55-1, which took effect 05/28/2026. The form asks whether the property is on a septic system or public sewer. It asks the seller to disclose known defects or malfunctions in plumbing, sewers and septic systems, and to list items or systems that need repair.
The form records what the seller knows. The permit, the conditions attached to it, and any contract or report history fill in the rest. In Anaqua Springs Ranch, every answer to the septic-or-sewer question is septic, which makes those supporting documents worth requesting early in the option period.
The Water Side Follows SAWS, Inside City Limits or Out
The faucet side runs on a separate set of rules. SAWS says its drought restrictions apply to every SAWS customer, including customers outside San Antonio city limits. That covers Anaqua Springs Ranch.
On Sept. 21, 2026, SAWS announced a return to Stage 3, which the city ordinance triggers when the Edwards Aquifer's 10-day rolling average drops below 640 feet above mean sea level. Watering hours under Stage 3 match Stage 2: 5 to 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight on the customer's designated day, which depends on the last digit of the address. Residential customers who use 20,000 gallons or more in a month pay a high-use surcharge. Watering with a hand-held hose is allowed at any time on any day.
The stage can change quickly. On Nov. 9, 2026, SAWS's aquifer level page showed 642.7 feet at the Bexar J-17 well, above the 640-foot trigger. SAWS's Stage 3 rules say leaving a stage can be considered 15 days after the aquifer climbs back above the trigger. The SAWS site has the current stage on any given day.
For owners rethinking a large lawn, SAWS offers up to $600 in coupons for replacing water-intensive grass with drought-tolerant landscaping.
Quick Answers
Is there a community sewer line in Anaqua Springs Ranch? The community's own page lists SAWS water, CPS electric and GVTC as underground utilities. It says each homeowner provides and maintains a septic system.
Does a buyer apply for a new septic permit at closing? State rules say the permit transfers to the new owner automatically at sale. TCEQ tells buyers to notify the local permitting authority after the purchase.
Who can service an aerobic system? Under contract, a licensed maintenance provider does the work, and that provider is an individual person. Whether a Bexar County owner can do the maintenance personally is a question for the county's OSSF staff, because the county's 2025 report says aerobic systems need a current maintenance contract.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your specific system and property, check with Bexar County, TCEQ, a licensed septic professional or an attorney.
At Evoke Realty, we start Anaqua Springs Ranch transactions by asking about permits, contracts and maintenance reports, so the septic system is covered long before closing day. If you're buying or selling a home with its own septic system, Contact Us and we'll help you get the right paperwork in place early.
