Illustration by smartboy10.
A City water line leak on San Fernando Way was repaired 40 days after it was reported.
Dallas Water Utilities confirmed to the Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate that the leak was reported on July 31, assessed that day and placed on the repair queue, reassessed on Sept. 8, and repaired on Sept. 9. DWU said the leak was initially not “an immediate threat to property, negative traffic impacts or significant water loss.” But the reassessment showed it was “negatively impacting private property,” so its priority in the queue was raised.
Multiple neighbors reported the leak, according to an NBC DFW article, and just under 500 known leaks were on the repair queue.
“DWU takes every reported leak seriously but must work the emergency and higher-impact planned repairs ahead of priority 1 and 2 leaks,” the department said in a statement to the Advocate. (In DWU’s priority tier, 4 is the highest, and 1 is the lowest. “Each report triggers an immediate field assessment, and the repair priority is determined by current conditions at the site.”
Repairs haven’t been uncommon lately, especially as the heat has driven up water demand.
“These higher demands, increased velocities, and dry expansive soil conditions are contributing to increased breaks and leaks across the 5,000-mile drinking water system,” the department said. “Over the past three months, DWU crews have repaired 310 main line breaks and leaks, 377 service line leaks, and 233 hydrants.”
District 9 City Council member Paula Blackmon’s newsletter reiterated this.
“They’ve also activated additional repair contracts to help manage the unusually high number of breaks this summer,” reads Blackmon’s Sept. 11 newsletter, which also included a breakdown of DWU’s priority system. “If a leak worsens after you’ve reported it, please contact 311 again under ‘water main leak/break,’ so staff can reassess quickly.”
