Proposed Ordinance 254-102026 would require a separate public sewer connection for each building abutting a street with a public sanitary sewer or on a lot or tract with any point within 300 feet of one.
An existing, fully functional on-site wastewater facility could qualify for an exemption only if it was built under approved plans before the ordinance takes effect or the property was annexed, remains licensed and legally compliant, creates no nuisance, and the property's use has not changed or expanded in ways specified by the draft.
Those conditions matter for homeowners now using septic systems: proximity alone would not settle whether an existing system must be replaced. The proposal also addresses changes in use and development that require a city plat or permit. A property owner seeking the exemption would need to test the property's circumstances against the final ordinance, if council adopts one.
Who would pay for the connection?
The draft assigns property owners responsibility for private sewer laterals and, where applicable, grinder pumps, connection fees and street repair.
Under the proposed text, applicable fees would be due before a connection. A contractor or property owner would make the physical connection. If connecting requires work in a paved street, the owner would be responsible for restoring it and providing a city-held repair deposit. The draft also assigns owners the purchase, installation and maintenance of their own grinder pumps, and the removal of obstructions and repair of defects in private laterals.
The proposal describes duties rather than an individual household bill. Actual costs would depend on the final rules and the work required at a particular property; the packet material reviewed for this story does not establish a universal cost. Readers should avoid treating the 300-foot threshold as a flat charge or assuming that every property inside it must abandon an existing septic system.
What council will consider
The Water Commission and city staff recommend approval of the proposed wastewater ordinance. Their recommendations precede council's public hearing and possible action; they are not a council vote.
Garden Ridge City Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 7, 2026, in City Council Chambers, 9400 Municipal Parkway, with a public hearing and possible action on proposed Ordinance 254-102026 at item 7.2.
The draft also addresses permits, enforcement and industrial wastewater standards. Council could consider the ordinance as written, change it or defer action after hearing from the public. The final text and any effective date will depend on the public record of that meeting.
Other business on the agenda
Council is scheduled to consider Water Commission appointments under item 7.1, a nuisance ordinance under item 7.3 and a bid for the Paul Davis Park trail under item 7.5. Item 7.4 is an oak wilt and fee discussion. Those are distinct matters; the sewer proposal is item 7.2.
The agenda also lists the Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 minutes, the Aug. 31 financial report and a newspaper designation on consent; city manager and engineer reports; police introductions; Hill Country Night Sky and Domestic Violence Awareness proclamations; announcements; and an executive-session notice. Listing these matters does not establish an approval or an action taken in closed session.
How residents can participate
The agenda provides citizen comment periods at items 4 and 8, as well as the item 7.2 public hearing. The published hearing notice describes oral input in person and advance written comments under the city's procedures. Residents concerned about the septic exemption, connection costs, grinder pumps or private lateral repairs can use the hearing to ask how the proposed language would apply to their property.
The next verification point is the Oct. 7 hearing and council action. The City Council Packet 10072026 at CivicClerk event 812 contains the proposed ordinance and Water Commission summary, so readers can inspect the exact exemption conditions and owner duties before the hearing.