Transportation Requirements

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 47, art. XI, div. 9, subpt. 4

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-541 Vehicle maintenance.

Sec. 47-541. - Vehicle maintenance. (a) Each transporter shall maintain each vehicle used by him for the transportation of waste in good working order. Without limitation, the transporter shall ensure that all hoses, tanks, pumps, pipes, valves and gauges shall be in good repair and free of any leaks that could cause a spill or discharge of waste from the vehicle. (b) Each transporter shall ensure that the name and telephone numbers that are required to be affixed under item (4) of subsection (a) of section 47-453 are maintained and are legible at all times and that the discharge valves are marked as required by state regulation. (Ord. No. 97-196, § 4, 2-19-97; Ord. No. 07-544, § 38, 5-9-07)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-542 Spill remediation.

Sec. 47-542. - Spill remediation. (a) Each transporter shall be responsible for the clean-up of any spills from its registered vehicles. In the event the city or the city's contractor provides the service of cleaning up the transporter's spill, the transporter shall pay the city's or its contractor's reasonable costs for clean-up as determined by the city official and as provided by the terms of the transporter's financial assurance. Payment shall be made within 30 days after the date of written notice from the city official. (b) In the event of any spill of waste, the transporter shall take appropriate remedial action, including removing or causing removal of the spill in compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and issuing any notices to regulatory agencies as required under state or federal law or regulations. (Ord. No. 97-196, § 4, 2-19-97; Ord. No. 2011-194, § 7, 3-23-2011)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-543 Storage of waste.

Sec. 47-543. - Storage of waste. A transporter shall store waste only in a mobile closed container (container on wheels) and shall not store waste for more than four days. A transporter who temporarily stores waste at a fixed or permanent site shall comply with all applicable state regulations. (Ord. No. 97-196, § 4, 2-19-97)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-544 Mixing wastes.

Sec. 47-544. - Mixing wastes. (a) A transporter shall not collect or transport incompatible wastes in the same container. Nor shall a transporter utilize the same pumping equipment for incompatible wastes without first cleaning the equipment between batches to prevent the mixing of incompatible wastes. (b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under subsection (a) that each of the following requirements was met: (1) The mixing of the wastes did not cause a dangerous chemical or physical reaction; (2) The facility to which the mixed wastes were being transported was then authorized to store, process, or dispose of the mixed wastes; (3) The transporter was then authorized to transport each of the wastes being mixed; and (4) The vehicle in which the wastes were being transported then met the requirements to transport each of the wastes being carried therein. (Ord. No. 97-196, § 4, 2-19-97)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-545 Complete removal required.

Sec. 47-545. - Complete removal required. No transporter shall remove waste from any interceptor, lift station, utility vault, septic tank, or similar device unless its entire contents are removed from the site. It is the express intent of this section to prohibit the use of 'mobile processors' and other devices that purport to separate waste or de-water the contents of an interceptor or lift station and leave a portion of the materials at the site. (Ord. No. 97-196, § 4, 2-19-97; Ord. No. 08-1229, § 45, 12-30-08; Ord. No. 2020-1024, § 17, 12-2-2020)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH47WASE_ARTXITRTRCEWA_DIV9GETRDIWA_SD4TRREFetched: 10/26/2026