The average water main in Dallas is 42 years old, and the costs of updating the city's water mains are estimated at $55 million a year. The problem: Dallas doesn’t even know where to start.
Robert Wilonsky reports on an audit released earlier this month finding that Dallas Water Utilities "isn’t doing a very good job of making sure it’s replacing enough water mains to keep up with the city’s 'long-term infrastructure needs.'"
"Long story short, says the briefing, DWU doesn’t really have a set target replacement rate for how many miles of lines it’s supposed to fix every year. Per the audit there’s about 59 miles’ worth of wiggle room, which is way too much wiggle, says the audit. Even worse: It’s not clear if the lines being repaired and replaced are carrying drinking water or wastewater."
The audit follows an "uptick in water main breaks" around the city, reported last August.
FULL STORY: Audit: Dallas isn’t doing a good job ID’ing its bad water mains — or replacing them fast enough
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