Power Brewing Project Faces Unexpected Permitting Issues
Power Brewing Project, the second brewery scheduled to open in Hutto, TX in 2023, was forced to delay its opening due to unexpected permitting issues with the Williamson County Health Department. David Power, owner and brewer, provided Craft Beer Austin with the specific issue at hand:
“I was going through my Williamson County Health Dept permitting process (which I thought was my last hoop to jump through) a couple of months ago when it was revealed to me that the septic system that I’m on is not rated for a brewery (even a small one like mine at 3.5BBL) and I cannot legally open my doors until I get a solution in place that is approved by the county and state. This was news to me and I went to the landlord/management of this facility and asked them to provide more information about the septic system and also why they happily allowed me to sign a lease knowing full-well what type of business I would be operating. Luckily, after speaking with the management and owner of my facility, they agreed to cooperatively work with me on a new wastewater solution that should allow me to open my doors within the next few months.”
David explains that wastewater produced by brewing operations is considered “industrial waste”, by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and cannot be treated by a septic system. Instead, a holding tank will need to be installed, where the wastewater can be pumped into a truck which will take it to an appropriate facility for treatment. This also requires the drainage plumbing to be rerouted, which means pulling up the concrete within the brewing area. While specifics on the installation timeline are still uncertain and out of his control, he’s been quoted only a few months to have the system up and running so that the brewery can be opened to the public.
Power Brewing Project follows Rockabilly Brewing (currently undergoing renovations), and longtime brewery Texas Beer Co. (who recently consolidated their taproom and brewery into one facility) in bringing beer to eastern Williamson County. As the Central Texas region continues to expand, we’ve been seeing more breweries choose to open outside of Austin proper, which appears to be a wise decision as breweries within Austin have been closing.
We’ll keep you up to date as Power Brewing Project resolves its permitting issues; if all goes well, it’s looking like this summer will be a great time to take a visit to the Hutto/Taylor region’s breweries, taprooms, and bottle shoppe.
