City of Irving

Water is essential to life itself, and the City of Irving presents its 2017 Water Quality Report, highlighting the quality of water delivered to residents. Each year, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the City of Dallas provide water quality data from the previous year. This information is compiled into a comprehensive report distributed to Irving residents and businesses by July 1.

Over the years, the Water Department staff has remained committed to providing water that meets or exceeds all state and federal standards. The City of Irving continuously seeks innovative approaches to deliver the highest-quality municipal water to its residents. As regulations evolve, the city is dedicated to implementing changes system-wide in a timely and cost-effective manner.

A reliable, safe water supply is crucial for public health, safety, and maintaining a vibrant economy. In a community with growing population and increasing water demands, Irving Water Utilities plays a vital role in ensuring the availability of this essential resource. Water Utilities provides some of the highest-quality, safest municipal water nationwide to businesses and over 234,000 residents—all while maintaining some of the lowest water rates in the region.

In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, requiring community water systems to provide customers with an annual report on their water quality. The City of Irving strongly supports this legislation and is eager to share detailed information about the city's water supply. Irving's water meets or exceeds all standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Water is processed by the City of Dallas and delivered to Irving ready for distribution.

"The Water Utilities Department prioritizes public health as staff works around the clock to deliver thoroughly tested, safe water to consumers," said Water Resources Director Todd Reck. "Water is a critical resource, essential to all aspects of daily life, and water utility employees have made service and product quality their highest priority."

The city has developed an effective tool to determine proper irrigation requirements to supplement rainfall. Two weather stations, located in the north and south parts of the city, provide Irving residents with accurate data for setting irrigation controllers. The best approach is to turn off automatic sprinkler systems and monitor WaterMyYard.org for guidance on when additional watering is needed.

To receive weekly updates about recommended sprinkler run times, simply visit the website and enter your property location. You can customize the information to your specific irrigation system by clicking the "Personalize" tab. Below the watering recommendation, there's an option to register for weekly emails providing irrigation schedules based on the nearest weather station. This ensures you always have the most current information readily available.

WaterMyYard.org was designed to help users water appropriately, preserve landscaping while conserving water, and reduce water bills. Visit WaterMyYard.org today to get started.

Sources of municipal water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land or underground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances from animal presence or human activity. Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants like salts and metals, which can occur naturally or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial/domestic wastewater discharges, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic compounds, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may also come from gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally occurring or result from oil/gas production and mining activities

To ensure safe municipal water, the EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. FDA regulations set similar limits for bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection. Contaminants causing taste, color, or odor issues aren't necessarily health concerns. For questions about taste, odor, or color of your water, contact the City of Irving Water Resources office at (972) 721-2281.

Most of Irving's water flows from Lake Chapman to Lewisville Lake before being treated by the City of Dallas. Irving owns water rights to Lake Chapman, formerly known as Cooper Reservoir. Additional water is purchased directly from the City of Dallas to supplement the Lake Chapman supply. Dallas uses surface water from Lake Grapevine, Lake Ray Hubbard, Lake Ray Roberts, Lake Tawakoni, and Lewisville Lake.

The TCEQ has completed a Source Water Susceptibility Report for all drinking water systems with their own sources. This report describes potential contamination risks based on human activities and natural conditions. For more information on source water assessments and protection initiatives, call (972) 721-2281.

For additional details about this report, to request copies, or for questions about municipal water, contact Irving's Environmental Compliance division at (972) 721-2281 or email dstarling@cityofirving.org. Certain populations may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general public, including infants, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.

.. ...