Sec. 26.017. COOPERATION. The commission shall:

(1) encourage voluntary cooperation by the people, cities, industries, associations, agricultural interests, and representatives of other interests in preserving the greatest possible utility of water in the state;

(2) encourage the formation and organization of cooperative groups, associations, cities, industries, and other water users for the purpose of providing a medium to discuss and formulate plans for attainment of water quality control;

(3) establish policies and procedures for securing close cooperation among state agencies that have water quality control functions;

(4) cooperate with the governments of the United States and other states and with official or unofficial agencies and organizations with respect to water quality control matters and with respect to formulation of interstate water quality control compacts or agreements, and when representation of state interests on a basin planning agency for water quality purposes is required under Section 3(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, or other federal legislation having a similar purpose, the representation shall include an officer or employee of the commission; and

(5) with respect to obtaining or administering the NPDES program in lieu of the government of the United States, not enter into any memorandum of agreement or other contractual relationship with or among state agencies or with the government of the United States which imposes any requirements upon the state other than or more stringent than those specifically set forth in Section 402(b) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended.

Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2207, ch. 870, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 795, Sec. 1.070, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 310, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 28, 1995.