Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) provides our customers with safe and reliable drinking water. DWU meets and exceeds all drinking water regulations and has been rated a Superior Water System, the highest rating offered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Over 46 years ago, Dallas began eliminating lead service lines and pipes that could leach lead into the water. Dallas' water treatment process also employs corrosion control strategies to prevent lead from leaching into water.
What is lead?
Lead is a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the Earth's crust. While it has some beneficial uses, it can be toxic to humans and animals, negatively affecting their health. Lead can come from many sources such as air, water, soil, consumer products, food, and occupational settings.
Lead can enter drinking water when pipes and plumbing fixtures that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content.
EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Revisions
Federal and state regulatory standards have helped reduce the amount of lead in our environment and minimize lead exposure. On January 15, 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). Among its requirements, the LCRR requires all public water systems to submit an initial Service Line Inventory on October 16, 2024, and to provide periodic updates over the next ten years until the inventory is completed.
As part of this requirement, DWU has been reviewing existing documentation, including plumbing codes, permits, historical capital improvement or master plans, distribution system maps and drawings, inspections and records of the distribution system and any other water system records that indicate the material composition of the service line connections. The inventory includes public and private service lines connected to the distribution system and categorizes the material of each service line.
What is a service line?
The service line connects the water main to a private property, such as
a home or business. There are three basic parts to the service line: the public
side, maintained by the utility; the meter, maintained by the utility; and the
private side, which is the responsibility of the property owner.
City of Dallas Service Line Inventory
DWU's efforts have contributed to the inventory of service line materials. The most common service line materials are plastic, copper, galvanized steel or iron, and lead. To view the latest click link Service Line Inventory findings for properties served by DWU. The inventory will be updated continuously.
Customer Survey
DWU will continue its efforts to update the Service Line Inventory by conducting visual inspections. Property owners are responsible for maintaining the private side of the service line, including replacement of any lead plumbing inside their premise and along their property coming from the meter. To aid in this effort, DWU has prepared a customer survey to help gather data and feedback and fulfill this obligation effectively. As part of the survey, participants must determine where their water service line is located and how it connects to their home or building, identify the service line material type and complete a short questionnaire. The survey also encourages participants to upload pictures of their service line for reference and includes tips to help identify the pipe's material.
As a reminder, DWU's Water Quality Division offers customers free lead testing of their water upon request by calling 3-1-1.
ADDITIONAL LEAD RESOURCES: