Dallas operates a limited reclaimed-water system supplying treated effluent for golf course, park, and industrial irrigation. Purple-pipe service is not yet available citywide, and cross-connections with potable lines are prohibited.
Dallas Water Utilities treats wastewater at the Central and Southside plants and distributes a portion as reclaimed water through a dedicated purple-pipe network governed by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Type I rules. Authorized customers include several golf courses, parks, and large institutional landscapes; the system does not yet serve most homes or businesses. New connections require a TCEQ-approved cross-connection control plan, backflow prevention assemblies tested annually, and signage marking purple piping and hose bibs. Reclaimed water is not approved for drinking, food preparation, swimming pools, or irrigation of edible crops eaten raw. Dallas plans incremental purple-pipe expansion through capital projects tied to the Long Range Water Supply Plan.
Cross-connecting reclaimed lines to potable plumbing is a serious public-health violation that can trigger TCEQ enforcement, mandatory disconnection, and fines from Dallas Water Utilities. Failure to test backflow assemblies annually voids reclaimed-water service authorization until the customer cures defects.
Dallas, TX
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Dallas, TX
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Dallas, TX
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See how Dallas's recycled water rules rules stack up against other locations.
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