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Dallas Water Utilities needs residents and businesses to conserve water

Don't be watering your lawn so much right now.

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First electricity, now water: The Dallas Water Utilities department is asking residents and businesses to conserve water, to reduce pressure on the system before it turns problematic.

According to a release, the consumption of water in the city has almost doubled, and this is leading to leaks, water main breaks, and other plumbing crises.

Between the heat wave and lack of rain, Dallas' water demand has increased dramatically: While the average consumption is 380 million gallons a day, it has spiked to more than 600 million gallons a day during the last week.

The increased water usage puts additional pressure on water pipelines and can lead to more water main breaks and leaks.

This past weekend, DWU repaired 17 main breaks, compared to the normal of 0 to 6 for this time of year.

 DWU currently has 18 crews responding 24-hours a day to water main breaks and leaks. When a repair is underway, there may be intermittent service interruptions that will impact customers.

Customers are notified of service interruptions through individual notices left on the doors of residential and business customers (notices are not delivered after dark or before 8 a.m.).  

Dallas Water Utilities is asking residents and businesses to conserve water and help reduce water demands by doing the following:

Adhere to the Twice Weekly Watering Schedule, detailed here.
Don't water your yard between 10 am and 6 pm from April 1 to October 31.
Sign up for free watering advice at waterisawesome.com/weekly-watering-advice/
Sign up for a free irrigation audit at savedallaswater.comfree-irrigation-audits/
Be sure your automatic sprinkler system does not water sidewalks, driveways, or the street.
Be sure that all the sprinkler heads are in good working order and that your system has no leaks.
Any water that is flowing from private or public property that is not normally viewed, should be reported to the City utilizing 311.
Report emergency water main leaks by calling 311.

Crews will be dispatched for initial assessment, and repairs if needed will be prioritized and scheduled as soon as practicable

DWU invests $150-$170 million annually to replace and rehabilitate water and wastewater mains.  These efforts have resulted in lower main breaks per 100 miles from approximately 40 in 2007 to 20 in 2021.

Their request to conserve on water follows two requests by ERCOT this week to conserve electricity, in order to avoid blackouts. We're melting.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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