Water bubbling up at the meter or the street?
Leaks at the meter, main breaks and emergency water turn-offs go to Dallas Water Utilities through 3-1-1 (or 214-670-3111 from outside the city), 24 hours a day. A wet spot between the meter and your house is usually your line. Shut off your private valve if you can, then call us at (682) 284-0966.
Dallas Water Utilities runs about 5,076 miles of water main and three treatment plants: East Side, Elm Fork and Bachman. The main and the meter are the City’s. The pipe from the meter to your house, often decades old, belongs to you.
Wet spot inside the house or a warm floor? See slab leak repair in Dallas. Smell gas while you’re digging around? Read gas leak repair in Dallas.
Dallas Water Utilities and your yard line
DWU serves about 1.36 million people in Dallas and sells treated water to 23 wholesale customer cities. The Census counts about 590,000 housing units in Dallas with a median build year of 1981, so a large share of private yard lines have been in the ground for 40 years or more.
Dallas yard lines by era
Close-in neighborhoods
About 9.6% of homes. Original lines from this era may be galvanized steel, which corrodes from the inside. If yours has already leaked once, replacing the run usually beats patching it.
The postwar decades
About 38% of homes. Half a century of Blackland clay shrinking and swelling stresses buried pipe and its fittings.
Far North Dallas growth
About 16% of homes, inside the years when gray polybutylene was used for yard service lines. Gray plastic at the meter is the clue.
Newer homes and rebuilds
About 36% of homes. Early-1990s lines can still be polybutylene. Newer leaks are mostly from fittings, damage or digging.
Who owns which part of a Dallas water line
Dallas City Code §49-24 and DWU spell out the split:
- DWU’s part: the main and the water service connection up to the meter, including the meter.
- Your part: the building water line from the meter to the house. DWU’s lead service line notices remind property owners that they maintain the private portion coming from the meter.
- Your cut-off valve: DWU tells customers to know where their private cut-off valve is and to install one if there isn’t one.
- Line locates: DWU marks its own lines when you call 3-1-1. Private lines usually aren’t marked, so we trace yours.
Signs of a leak on your side of the meter
- A soft or wet patch in the yard between the meter and the house, even in dry weather.
- The meter dial moves with every faucet and the sprinklers off.
- A higher bill without any change in how you use water.
- Weak pressure throughout the house.
- Water running you can hear near where the line enters the house.
How we repair a Dallas water line
Rule out the obvious
We check toilets, irrigation and the meter so we know the leak is underground.
Pinpoint it
We trace the line from the meter and locate the leak before anything is dug up.
Price in writing
You get upfront written pricing before any work starts, with a replacement option if the line is galvanized, polybutylene or has leaked before.
Fix and document
We make the repair, pull the Dallas permit when the work needs one, and give you the dated invoice DWU asks for.
DWU’s leak adjustment
Dallas Water Utilities can adjust a bill after a private leak is repaired:
- One adjustment in any twelve-month period, covering no more than three months.
- The extra water is recalculated at the lowest rate. You’re still responsible for all water used.
- Send in: the date the leak was repaired, a description of the repair, the service address and your account number, by email to leak.adjustments@dallas.gov or online.
- Keep paying your regular bills while the request is processed, which can take up to 60 days.
Dallas permits for water line work
How the City of Dallas handles it
- Permits are issued through DallasNow, the City’s online permitting system.
- Who can pull one: a qualifying homeowner, or a plumbing contractor with a Texas Responsible Master Plumber license registered with the City of Dallas.
- Planning & Development: 320 E. Jefferson Blvd., (214) 948-4480.
- At the meter: anything on DWU’s side of the meter is the City’s work.
As Dallas requires, Staggs Plumbing is registered with the City of Dallas and pulls the permit when the job needs one.
Where we find yard leaks in Dallas
| Location | Typical repair | Why it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Right after the meter | Repair the customer-side fitting | The first joint takes the most movement |
| Midway under the lawn | Spot repair, or replace the run if it’s old | Clay movement and age |
| Gray polybutylene line | Replace meter to house | More leaks usually follow the first |
| Galvanized in an older home | Replace meter to house | Corrosion is spread along the whole pipe |
| Where the line enters the house | Repair and add or replace the private valve | DWU recommends a private cut-off valve |
Yard leak in Dallas? Start here.
In this order:
- Leak at the meter or the street? Call 3-1-1 to report it to DWU.
- Close your private cut-off valve if you have one, to stop the loss.
- Note the date you found the leak and take photos.
- Keep your bills. DWU’s leak adjustment asks for the repair date and details.
- Call (682) 284-0966. We trace your line, find the leak and quote the fix in writing up front.
Dallas neighborhoods we serve
We repair yard lines across our Dallas service area, including ZIP codes 75204, 75206, 75225, 75229, 75230, 75240 and 75248: Uptown, Lower Greenville, Lakewood, the M Streets, Preston Hollow, North Dallas and Far North Dallas.
We’re based just north in Plano.
Dallas water line questions
Who owns the water line between the meter and my house in Dallas?
You do. Dallas City Code §49-24 has the City maintain the service connection from the main to the meter. The building water line from the meter to the house is private plumbing, so the owner pays for its repair.
Who do I call about a leaking water meter in Dallas?
Dallas Water Utilities, through 3-1-1, any time of day. From outside the city, call 214-670-3111. The same line handles main breaks and emergency water turn-offs.
Does Dallas Water Utilities give leak adjustments?
Yes, once in any twelve-month period, for up to three months. The extra water is recalculated at the lowest rate. Submit the repair date, a description of the repair, the address and your account number. Processing can take up to 60 days.
Who supplies water in Dallas?
Dallas Water Utilities, the City’s own utility. It treats water at the East Side, Elm Fork and Bachman plants and also sells treated water to nearby cities.
What will a Dallas water line repair cost?
You get upfront written pricing before any work starts, including a replacement option when the line is old or has leaked before. Financing is available.
