We are ready to help you evaluate water, wastewater, and reclaimed water service to your proposed development. 

Service Extension Requests

A Service Extension Request (SER) is a request by a landowner or developer to extend water, wastewater, or reclaimed water service to a property. SERs are used by landowners or developers as a basis to identify required infrastructure improvements and to prepare a preliminary estimate of the cost of infrastructure for proposed development. Costs associated with the design and construction of the infrastructure identified in the SER are the responsibility of the landowner or developer.

The SER Program exists to ensure that water, wastewater, and reclaimed water systems have adequate capacity to handle new developments (individual, subdivision, multi-family, or commercial) and that proposed extensions meet City and Austin Water infrastructure planning goals.

All applicants for an SER are encouraged to use minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) in the design and construction of utility infrastructure and related facilities.  Further information about the City’s M/WBE ordinance, see:  Austin City Code, Chapters 2-9A, 2-9B, 2-9C, and 2-9D or visit the SMBR website.

When is an SER Required?

SERs are addressed in the City’s Land Development Code, Chapter 25-9, Article 1, Division 2. An SER is required for a proposed project:

  • If Austin Water’s existing water, wastewater, or reclaimed water system is more than 100 feet from the property’s boundary
  • If Austin Water’s existing water, wastewater, or reclaimed water system is not suitable or sufficient to provide the level of service required for the proposed project, or
  • If the Applicant is requesting connection to a water or reclaimed water transmission main or wastewater interceptor.

Developers may request a pre-development consultation by emailing SER@austintexas.gov (preferred) or scheduling through the Permitting and Development Center Appointment Scheduler. These meetings can be helpful to assess the proposed development’s utility needs, advise the developer of potential capacity concerns, and confirm if an SER will be required.  This process is intended to help developers achieve greater certainty on possible infrastructure costs earlier in the development process. 

When to Submit an SER

An SER should be submitted early in the development review and permitting process. Ideally, an SER would be submitted during the feasibility or preliminary engineering phase, prior to filing a formal development application (preliminary plan, plat, subdivision construction plan, or site plan).

How to Submit an SER

Please complete and sign the SER application form and prepare the applicable backup materials (visit Forms section below to download SER application, checklist, and other guidance documents). Submit SER application and associated backup materials electronically using the Austin Build + Connect Portal). Once your application is declared complete, an invoice will be generated, and payment can be made using the Austin Build + Connect Portal (My Bills).  

When Does an SER Expire?

An approved SER expires 180 days after its approval unless a preliminary plan, plat, subdivision construction plan, or site plan is submitted, in which case the SER expires on the date that formal development application expires. Zoning applications, project assessments, development assessments, etc. are not considered formal development applications and will not prevent an SER from expiring. 

Service Extension Request Forms, Fee Information and Resources 

Forms

To initiate Austin Water’s technical review of an SER, please submit the following SER application form and associated backup outlined in the SER submittal checklist:

  • SER Application Form: PDF | Word
  • SER Submittal Checklist: PDF
  • Annexation Form*: PDF | Word
  • How to Submit an SER Application: PDF
  • LUE Guidance Document: PDF
  • SER Info Sheet – You have submitted an SER, what now?: PDF

 *Land Development Code (LDC) Section 25-4-195 requires landowners to provide written request for annexation as a condition of extending municipal water and wastewater service to a property within the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction if the property is not covered by Austin Water’s certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN). LDC Section 25-9-33(C) requires the annexation form be submitted with an SER application. The annexation form required with the SER application does not suffice as the property owner’s consent to annexation that is required under state law for an area to be annexed. For more information on CCN, please visit the Public Utilities Commission website.

Fees

A fee is charged for the review of an SER and is collected when an SER application is submitted. Additional fees may be required depending on specific aspects of an SER application or when City development permits have expired and are being reactivated or renewed. For a list of Austin Water’s fees, please see our fee schedule.

Technical Resources for Engineers

Customers may email SER@austintexas.gov to request copies of approved SERs.

Copies of approved SERs can also be downloaded from Austin Water’s Records Access Application (RAA), an online GIS viewer available to the engineering community. The project engineer may request access to the RAA. The location, status, and Austin Water staff contact for SER applications can be obtained from the RAA. 

Service Availability Letter Request

The Service Availability Letter Request provides a determination of the water and wastewater service provider for a specified tract of land. Service Availability Letters are typically provided in response to requests for “will-serve” letters, confirming if the property is within the service area of Austin Water (AW). These types of letters are typically used by real estate firms and/or potential property owners for final sales of properties. Service Availability Letters are typically provided within 3 business days of receipt of request.

Service Availability letters do not provide any type of commitment in regards to capacity or the level of service AW will provide. These letters do not consider the proposed land use or the site specific water and wastewater service needs; therefore, they cannot conclusively determine future needs for an SER. Detailed project data and site information must be submitted and reviewed to determine if an SER is needed or if the existing systems are suitable and sufficient for the demands of the proposed development.

Fee Schedule

There are no fees associated with requests for a Service Availability Letter at this time.

Service Availability Letter Request Procedures

Please follow these procedures so that your project is completed as quickly as possible.

  1. Please submit each request by email to wwwsa@austintexas.gov
  2. Provide a location name or address in the email subject field.
  3. Please provide the address and tax parcel id number in the message body of the email. Tax parcel IDs can be found for Travis County at www.traviscad.org/ or Williamson County at www.wcad.org/
  4. If possible please attach a location map which outlines the subject tract.

Requests will be placed in the project queue and completed in the order that they are received.

Program Contact Information

  • Email: wwwsa@austintexas.gov
  • Mailing/Physical Address: Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Suite 3100, Austin, TX 78752

Service Extension Request Program Contact Information 

  • Email: ser@austintexas.gov
  • Mailing/Physical Address: Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Suite 3100, Austin, TX 78752