Municipal governing bodies control water and sewer utility jurisdiction within city limits, and the utility commission has appellate or outside-city jurisdiction; some jurisdiction changes are time-limited.
Sec. 13.042. JURISDICTION OF MUNICIPALITY; ORIGINAL AND APPELLATE JURISDICTION OF UTILITY COMMISSION. (a) Subject to the limitations imposed in this chapter and for the purpose of regulating rates and services so that those rates may be fair, just, and reasonable and the services adequate and efficient, the governing body of each municipality has exclusive original jurisdiction over all water and sewer utility rates, tariffs, operations, and services provided by a water and sewer utility within its corporate limits. (b) The governing body of a municipality by ordinance may elect to have the utility commission exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over the utility rates, operation, and services of utilities, within the incorporated limits of the municipality. (c) The governing body of a municipality that surrenders its jurisdiction to the utility commission may reinstate its jurisdiction by ordinance at any time after the second anniversary of the date on which the municipality surrendered its jurisdiction to the utility commission, except that the municipality may not reinstate its jurisdiction during the pendency of a rate proceeding before the utility commission. The municipality may not surrender its jurisdiction again until the second anniversary of the date on which the municipality reinstates jurisdiction. (d) The utility commission shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review orders or ordinances of those municipalities as provided in this chapter. (e) The utility commission shall have exclusive original jurisdiction over water and sewer utility rates, operations, and services not within the incorporated limits of a municipality exercising exclusive original jurisdiction over those rates, operations, and services as provided in this chapter. (f) This subchapter does not give the utility commission power or jurisdiction to regulate or supervise the rates or service of a utility owned and operated by a municipality, directly or through a municipally owned corporation, within its corporate limits or to affect or limit the power, jurisdiction, or duties of a municipality that regulates land and supervises water and sewer utilities within its corporate limits, except as provided by this code. Added by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 3.005, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 539, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 567, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 170 (H.B. 1600), Sec. 2.14, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 171 (S.B. 567), Sec. 14, eff. September 1, 2013. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 330 (S.B. 2662), Sec. 2, eff. May 30, 2025.