Dallas Water Utilities customers receive notification letters about their service lines - Dallas City News

Nov 13, 2024

November 8, 2024

Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) is notifying residents about the status of their water service lines as part of recent changes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead and copper rule. The rule changes call for every water utility in the United States, including DWU, to notify customers with service line materials classified as unknown, lead or galvanized requiring replacement.

Please see a list of Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the EPA’s lead and copper rules?

The EPA’s 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) required water utilities to compile a Service Line Inventory and submit it by October 16, 2024. On October 30, 2024, the EPA issued the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). Water systems will have 10 years after implementation of the LCRI to identify the materials of all service lines, meaning identifying all unknown service lines.

What is a service line?

The service line is a pipe that connects the water main (larger pipe that carries water from the treatment plants) to homes and businesses. It consists of two sides, the public city-owned side and the private customer-owned portion. The Service Line Inventory must contain the location and material composition of both sides of the service lines. Property owners are responsible for maintaining the private portion of the service line, including replacing any lead plumbing inside their premises and along their property coming from the meter.

The LCRI includes a 10-year timeline for the completion of the Service Line Inventory and the replacement of any lead and galvanized lines requiring replacement found on the public city-owned side as part of this effort. If only one side of the service line is known, the whole line must be labeled as unknown, which is why residents are being asked to help identify service line materials on their side of the meter.

How do the changes to the lead and copper rules impact Dallas’ water system?

DWU is committed to providing ongoing superior rated drinking water services. DWU’s tap water meets all established regulatory requirements for drinking water and our system is rated as a Superior Water System, the highest rating offered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

There is no lead in the city’s water. 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. Dallas includes orthophosphate as part of our water treatment process systemwide. As a corrosion control inhibitor, orthophosphate works by forming a protective barrier inside pipes, reducing the risk of lead leaching into drinking water from lead solder and pipes in residential homes. This ongoing effort underscores our commitment to providing safe, clean drinking water all the way to our customers’ taps.

DWU has 320,491 active service lines. To date, DWU has identified the material for 204,396 services on the public side, and 86,886 on the private side as non-lead. The list is being updated continuously as new information is available. Currently, our inventory contains no lead service lines.

What can residents do if they receive a notification?

1. Check service line material: Residents can visit DWU’s online Service Line Inventory Map to see if their service line material has been identified or is unknown.

2. Complete a survey: DWU encourages customers to fill out a simple Customer Service Line Survey to help identify their service line material, which will help update the city’s Service Line Inventory.

Residents can find more information and access the Service Line Inventory Map and the Customer Service Line Survey at bit.ly/DWULeadInfo. Customers with inquiries may send an email to [email protected] for assistance.