A growing population in North Texas could result in a water shortage for Dallas by early 2040. But a partnership between Dallas Water Utilities and the Tarrant Regional Water District may provide a solution to higher demand.
The Integrated Pipeline, or IPL, is a joint regional project between the Dallas and Tarrant County systems to bring more water into the metroplex.
Dallas Water Utilities Director Sarah Standifer told city council during Wednesday’s briefing that the first portion of the project is connected to the TRWD system. The next portion will connect the pipeline to Lake Palestine to bring water into the DWU system.
“If we do nothing right now and we do not connect to IPL, we have a shortage in 2040,” Standifer said. “So that’s the big piece is IPL’s got to connect in 2040, we’ve made investments to keep that moving.”
Standifer added that a supply deficit will not happen in 2040 as long as DWU continues to implement its strategies for the regional pipeline.
TRWD is expected to finish the IPL connection to a drop off point by 2028, DWU Assistant Director Matt Penk said during the briefing. Once that is complete, DWU will take up the connection and bring it to Joe Pool Lake which will allow the water to be treated in Dallas’ system.
Other long-term water supply strategies include water conservation measures.
Standifer said in her briefing that DWU plans to pilot a rebate program in the spring for a select number of Dallas residents to swap out old irrigation systems. She said old irrigation systems result in some of the largest water usage. Swapping those out could save 4 million gallons a day per year for each person.
DWU also plans to recommend Dallas residents move to a year-round time of day watering strategy, which will advise less watering in cooler months.
“Conservation is really about long-term water supply,” Standifer said. “It’s not just about conserving the water, it’s really about demand strategies, it’s about supply strategies.”
The DWU system provides water to 1.3 million city of Dallas residents and 1.3 wholesale customers, which includes several Dallas County municipalities.
Both Dallas and Tarrant counties are part of water Region C in Texas which totaled about 7.7 million people in 2021. Standifer said that regional population is expected to double by 2080.
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