Dallas Water Utilities Lead Pipe Advisory: Are You Safe?

Dallas Water Utilities customers recently got a troubling letter, asking them to help check for lead pipes in the area. Residents of Fort Worth and Denton received a similar letter.

The wording of this letter confused many DFW residents. Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) began eliminating lead pipes from the city’s water supply system nearly 50 years ago — so why are they still concerned? We’ve received multiple calls from Dallas residents asking if their tap water is safe to drink.

Let’s break down what that letter from Dallas Water Utilities really means — and what Dallas homeowners can do to protect their drinking water from lead contamination without spending $40,000+ on whole home repiping.

• The letter is a result of Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The EPA updated its rules about lead and copper service line notifications by water utilities.
• DWU asked Dallas residents to complete a survey. The DWU Service Line Inventory requests homeowners find water lines and identify their pipe material. But many homeowners find self-testing of pipe materials difficult.
• Over 36% of Dallas public water lines are untested for lead. The city’s tap water meets regulatory standards as safe to drink, but over 115,000 public service lines have not been tested for lead pipe materials.
• Homeowners have free resources for Dallas water testing. Residents are encouraged to call 311 to obtain free lead testing for their home water supply.
• Save thousands on home repiping and choose a water filtration system. Home water filtration systems eliminate lead from tap water and cost thousands less than whole home repiping services.

Talk to us about home water filtration!

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Dallas Water Utilities Issues Lead Pipe Warning Letter

Dallas Water Utilities sent a letter in November 2024 advising local residents about the potential for lead in their drinking water. That’s due to the potential presence of lead pipes in the city’s water supply network.

"We just want to make sure you are safe all the way," said DWU's Assistant Director for Water Delivery Regina Stencel. 

The letter was sent in good faith, but contained a mix of vague language and terms that left Dallas homeowners worried. 

The primary concern we have with the DWU’s letter is its request for local residents to participate in a Service Line Inventory.

The problem With DWU’s Self-Reporting Inventory

DWU asks Dallas residents to partake in a Service Line Inventory to assist in mapping the city’s water lines.

The inventory requests that Dallas area homeowners complete the following steps:

1. Find their home’s water service line
2. Test the pipe’s material for lead or copper
3. Report findings and personal information, including:some text
   1. Name
   2. Zip code
   3. Homeowner or renter status
   4. Age of building
   5. Water service line testing status
   6. Water service line pipe material
   7. Photos of your water service line pipes

This survey was executed in good faith, but there’s a simple problem — how can the average homeowner be confident about their pipe material testing?

Hundreds of thousands of DFW homeowners and renters aren’t plumbers. Asking them to perform tests on their pipes — even simple scratch tests and magnet tests — can be highly stressful. 

“I did a scratch test on my water supply line twice, and I’m still not sure I got it right,” a local homeowner told us.

Even if you do properly perform a DIY pipe material test, that doesn’t guarantee every pipe in the city’s water system is lead-free.

Are There Lead Pipes in the Dallas Water Supply?

Dallas City News reports that DWU has 320,491 active service lines. As of November 8, 2024, they’ve determined that 204,396 public service lines contain no lead.

That leaves over 115,000 unchecked water service lines. We don’t claim all (or any) of these contain lead pipes — but we also can’t legally inspect any of them. Only the City of Dallas maintains authority to check or remediate public service lines.

“There is no lead in the city’s water,” the City of Dallas states. DWU’s tap water currently meets all regulatory standards for drinking water, and its water treatment process utilizes corrosion control strategies to prevent lead from leaching into drinking water.

Still, over 36% of Dallas’ water service lines untested for lead. And that leaves local residents slightly concerned.

Are There Lead Pipes in My Dallas Home?

Dallas maintains a Lead Service Line Inventory Map of all homes in the City of Dallas. This map indicates which homes have been tested for lead pipes, both on the utility side and the customer side. 

To date, nearly 87,000 private residential service lines are certified as non-lead. However, the City of Dallas contains nearly 594,000 housing units as of November 2024 — this leaves over a half a million private service lines unchecked or uncertified for lead pipes.

10 Dallas neighborhoods with unchecked lead pipe concerns

We used the Dallas Lead Service Line Inventory Map to identify 10 Dallas neighborhoods that remain largely unchecked for residential lead pipe materials. Please contact us for lead pipe testing if you live in one of these neighborhoods:

• Briarwood
• Highland Meadows
• Lake Highlands Estates
• Lake Park Estates
• Linda Heights
• Little Forest Hills
• Lower Greenville
• North Stonewall Terrace
• Old Lake Highlands
• Ridgewood Park

Call us for a Dallas home lead pipe inspection!

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Home Water Filtration Systems: The Best Solution

If you find lead pipes in your home or suspect lead pipes in your local public water supply line, it’s tempting to rip out all your pipes and start fresh.

The problem: whole home repiping services can cost upwards of $40,000 per household. That price point isn’t cost-effective for many Dallas area residents.

The best way to protect your family and make your Dallas tap water safe to drink is with a whole home water filtration system.

The national average cost to install a whole house water filtration system is between $2,000-$3,000. This price depends on the size of your household and number of active taps.

Even a larger home filtration system (which can cost $5,000) still saves Dallas homeowners 85% on the cost of whole home pipe replacement.

5 key benefits of whole home water filtration installation

Installing a whole house water filter system provides 5 benefits and long-lasting protection against lead and other contaminants in your drinking water:

1. Better water quality. Whole home filters don’t just protect against lead leaching into your water supply. They eliminate pesticides, chlorine, bacteria and heavy metals from your tap water.
2. Enhanced pipe protection. Filtration systems eliminate heavy metals, which protects against pipe corrosion and damage. This protects against future plumbing repair costs and lowers annual maintenance costs.
3. Cheaper than individual tap filters. Installing a whole home water filtration system is more cost-effective than buying individual filters for sink taps in your house.
4. Improved dish and clothes washing. Eliminate corrosive heavy metals, chemicals and lead from your water supply, and your dishes and clothes become cleaner and safer.
5. A lead-free lifestyle. The best home water filtration systems are certified to eliminate lead from your public water supply.

Common Homeowner FAQs About Dallas Lead Pipes

We’ve received many calls from DFW customers about the Dallas Water Utilities notice regarding lead pipes in the region. Here are answers to their most frequently asked questions:

What does drinking lead in water do to you?

Long-term exposure to lead in drinking water is scientifically linked to brain damage, injury to organs and soft tissue, and can cause death in both children and adults.

Does boiling water get rid of lead?

Absolutely not. Boiling water does not remove lead. In fact, hot water dissolves lead more quickly and therefore may contain more lead than cold water.

How long does lead stay in the body?

Lead can remain in your bones for 25-30 years. The half-life of lead in soft tissue is 4-6 weeks, and about 4-5 weeks in your bloodstream.

Can I find lead in my water without testing?

No, lead testing is the only guaranteed way to detect lead in your water supply.

Does my refrigerator water filter remove lead?

Most fridge filters do not remove lead or other heavy metals from the water supply.

How can I eliminate lead from my home’s drinking water?

Whole house water filtration systems are the best way to eliminate lead from your tap water. Water softeners and reverse osmosis units are capable of lead removal as well, but their filtration systems can make water from lead pipes more corrosive.

Is it cheaper to replace my pipes or install a filtration system?

On average, installing a whole house filtration system costs at least 80-85% less than whole home pipe replacement.

If your home has lead pipes, you should replace them as soon as possible.

3 Action Items If You Received a Dallas Water Utilities Letter

If you received the DWU letter about lead pipes in Dallas, take the following 3 steps as soon as possible to eliminate any fears about lead in your drinking water:

1. Check the Dallas Lead Service Line Inventory Map. See whether your home is tested for lead pipes, both on the public and residential side.
2. Schedule a home lead pipe test. Call 311 for free lead testing of your home water supply, or contact us for a professional lead pipe inspection.
3. Consider a whole house water filtration system. Eliminate lead pipe concerns without the cost of whole home repiping.

Questions about lead pipes in Dallas? Reach out!

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