Dallas Water Utilities

Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) is the water and wastewater service operated by the City of Dallas, Texas, in the United States. DWU is a non-profit City of Dallas department that provides services to the city and 31 nearby communities, employs approximately 1450 people, and consists of 26 programs. DWU's budget is completely funded through the rates charged for water and wastewater services provided to customers. Rates are based on the cost of providing the services. (Dallas City Charter, Chapter XI, Section 14) The department does not receive any tax revenues. Primary authority and rules for the department are listed in Chapter 49 of the Dallas City Code.

Private owners developed the first public water supply in Dallas in 1876. The first sewers were built in the 1880s primarily for storm water drainage. At that time the street runoff and domestic sewage went directly to the Trinity River. Dallas Water Utilities began as the City of Dallas Waterworks in 1881 when the city purchased a privately owned water company that had been providing Dallas with water since the 1870s. When Browder Springs proved an inadequate water source, the city turned to surface water sources such as the Trinity River and manmade lakes in 1903.

DWU is a department in the City of Dallas and falls under its management scheme. It is managed by a director and five assistant directors for the five primary functional areas:

Business Operations provides accounting, financial, and budget support to the Water Utilities Department; In addition, this program provides for the management of wholesale water and wastewater services to other governmental entities within the utility's service area. provides overall financial support to the Department in areas where the expenditures are not directly tied to the day-to-day operational and overhead aspects of the department. All such expenditures require special monitoring and control. Key items within General Expense and Debt Service include street rental, transfer to the construction funds, general fund cost reimbursement and debt service commitments

Customer Operations provides customer relations, billings, credit and collections activities, customer information, and all meter-associated services to the water, wastewater and stormwater utility customers. Works to promote DWU conservation programs.

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