(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a district shall process applications from a single applicant under consolidated notice and hearing procedures on written request by the applicant if the district requires a separate permit or permit amendment application for:
(1) drilling, equipping, operating, or completing a well or substantially altering the size of a well or well pump under § 36.113;
(2) the spacing of water wells or the production of groundwater under § 36.116; or
(3) transferring groundwater out of a district under § 36.122.
(b) A district is not required to use consolidated notice and hearing procedures to process separate permit or permit amendment applications from a single applicant if the board cannot adequately evaluate one application until it has acted on another application.