Water line repair in Dallas fixes leaks and breaks in the buried service line that runs from the water meter to your house, and replaces old lines when repair no longer makes sense. Dallas Water Utilities maintains the street side and the meter; the line on your side of the meter is the homeowner's. Call and describe what you are seeing.
What Dallas water line repair includes
- Leaks and breaks in the buried line between the meter and the house.
- Wet yard spots, pooling water or low pressure traced to the service line.
- Replacing a section of damaged service line.
- Full water line replacement from the meter to the house, including trenchless options where they fit.
- Old galvanized or unknown service lines checked and identified.
How water line repair works, step by step
- You call and describe the signs: wet spots, low pressure, a high bill or a meter that keeps moving.
- The plumber checks whether the leak is on the city side at the meter or on your side of it.
- The leaking section is located and the options, repair or replacement, are explained before any digging.
- The line is repaired or replaced, with trenchless methods where the route allows.
- Water is turned back on, the line is checked for leaks and the yard is backfilled.
Not sure what you need? Call (877) 340-0703 and describe your issue to a local plumber over the phone. Calls are answered 24/7.
Who is responsible for the water line in Dallas?
Dallas Water Utilities describes three parts of a water service line: the public side, which the utility maintains; the meter, which the utility also maintains; and the private side, which is the property owner's responsibility. In practice, that means the line from the meter to your house, and all the plumbing inside, is yours to repair.
If water is coming up in the street or appears to be on the public side of the meter, report it to Dallas Water Utilities through 3-1-1 under the category “water main leak/break.” If the leak is on the private side, between the meter and the house, contact a plumber to inspect the service line. That is the job Dallas water line repair covers.
Signs of a leaking water line between the meter and your house
A broken or leaking service line usually shows up outside first. Because the line is buried, the water has to go somewhere, and in Dallas clay soil it often surfaces as a wet or muddy strip that never dries out, even in hot weather.
- A soft, soggy or greener strip of lawn between the meter and the house
- Water pooling near the foundation or the front walk with no rain
- Low water pressure at every faucet in the house at once
- A water bill that jumps with no change in how you use water
- The meter still moving when every faucet and appliance is off
Check your water meter for a hidden leak
EPA WaterSense suggests a simple test: read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the reading changes at all, you probably have a leak. Turn off irrigation and make sure nobody runs water during the test. If the meter moves and you cannot find a dripping faucet or running toilet, the leak may be in the buried service line or under the slab, which a plumber can trace.
Water line leak repair: what usually happens
Water line leak repair starts by confirming where the leak is. The plumber checks the meter, the customer shutoff and the line to the house, then exposes the leaking section. A single leak in an otherwise sound line can often be repaired by replacing that section. When the line is old, has leaked before or is damaged along its length, replacing the whole run from the meter to the house is usually the better long-term fix. The plumber should explain which option fits your line and why before any digging starts.
Water line replacement in Dallas, including trenchless options
Water line replacement in Dallas makes sense when a line keeps leaking, is badly corroded, or is too small for the house. In many yards the new line can be installed with trenchless methods, where a new pipe is pulled or pushed through the ground between two small access pits instead of digging a trench across the lawn, driveway or landscaping. Whether trenchless water line replacement will work depends on the route, the soil and what is buried nearby, so it is decided on site. For any digging, call 811 first so buried utilities are marked.
Old, galvanized or unknown service lines in Dallas
Dallas Water Utilities has been building an inventory of service line materials under federal lead and copper rules. In November 2024 it reported 320,491 active service lines and said its inventory contained no lead service lines, but many lines are listed as unknown because the material on the customer's side has not been identified. If only one side is known, the whole line is labeled unknown, so DWU asks residents to complete its Customer Service Line Survey or have a plumber check the line.
Under those rules, galvanized lines found as part of this work are also scheduled for attention on the public side, while replacing the private side remains the owner's responsibility. If your Dallas home is older and the line from the meter is galvanized steel, it is worth having it checked, since old galvanized pipe tends to corrode and lose pressure over time. DWU offers lead testing of household water on request through 3-1-1.