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Comprehensive Consumer Confidence Report for Dallas, Texas — served by Dallas Water Utilities (DWU)
Perfect compliance record — no recorded violations
View detailed city report →What to know about Dallas's tap water
Because Dallas uses surface water from reservoirs, its main thing to watch is disinfection byproducts — TTHMs and haloacetic acids that form when chlorine reacts with organic matter. DWU keeps them below the EPA limits (80 ppb TTHM, 60 ppb HAA5), but they are typically the highest-reading contaminants in river- and lake-fed cities.
The reservoir supply contains no lead; any lead comes from older household plumbing and service lines. DWU adds corrosion-control treatment to keep levels well below the 15 ppb action level.
Dallas water is moderately hard — noticeable but less so than groundwater cities. This affects taste and scale, not safety.
Dallas's A+ grade reflects consistently low contaminant levels plus a perfect (100/100) EPA compliance history with no recorded violations.
Dallas draws entirely on surface water from reservoirs in the Trinity River watershed and East Texas. Because reservoir water carries more organic matter than a protected aquifer, it needs full conventional treatment before it is safe to drink — filtration plus disinfection.
Dallas Water Utilities manages watershed protection across its reservoir network and blends multiple sources to keep the supply resilient through Texas droughts.
DWU's Bachman, Elm Fork, and East Side treatment plants use conventional surface-water treatment — coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration — to remove particles and organic matter from reservoir water.
Dallas disinfects with chloramine (chlorine combined with ammonia) in the distribution system, which keeps water safe over long pipe runs while producing fewer disinfection byproducts than free chlorine alone.
Treatment is tuned to reduce corrosivity, limiting the lead and copper that could otherwise leach from older household plumbing and service lines.
DWU adjusts fluoride to the level recommended for dental health, consistent with Texas and federal guidance.
No Recorded Violations
Dallas Water Utilities has a perfect 100/100 compliance score with no recorded EPA drinking water violations — a key reason Dallas grades A+.
View the complete Drinking Water Quality Report on the Dallas Water Utilities website:
dallascityhall.com — Dallas Water Utilities →Call Dallas Water Utilities Customer Service at (214) 651-1441 to request a printed copy of the annual water quality report.
Water System: Dallas Water Utilities (DWU)
Source: 100% surface water (Trinity River basin reservoirs)
Population served: ~2.3 million
Yes. Dallas tap water earns an A+ (95/100) with a perfect compliance score and no recorded violations. Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) treats reservoir water from the Trinity River basin and meets all EPA drinking water standards. Some residents still filter for chlorine taste, disinfection byproducts, or lead from older home plumbing.
Dallas is supplied entirely by surface water. Dallas Water Utilities draws from a network of reservoirs in the Trinity River basin and East Texas — including Lewisville Lake, Ray Roberts Lake, Grapevine Lake, Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Tawakoni, and Lake Fork — treated at the Bachman, Elm Fork, and East Side water treatment plants.
Because Dallas uses surface water, the contaminants that read highest are disinfection byproducts (TTHMs and HAA5) formed during chlorination — kept within EPA limits. Lead is not in the source water but can leach from older household plumbing. All levels meet EPA safety standards.
It's optional — the water is already safe and high-scoring. Most Dallas residents who filter do so for chlorine/chloramine taste, disinfection byproducts, or a bit of extra lead protection in older homes. A certified carbon pitcher handles all three with no installation; a good renter-friendly option is the Clearly Filtered pitcher, which is independently lab-tested to reduce lead, chlorine, and disinfection byproducts. For whole-home heavy-metal or PFAS removal you'd step up to a reverse-osmosis system.
Dallas Water Utilities publishes its annual Drinking Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) online at dallascityhall.com. Reports are also available by calling DWU Customer Service at (214) 651-1441.