DALLAS, Texas — After a 12-inch cast iron pipe turned a feeder road alongside Interstate 35E into a lake on Monday, the City of Dallas revealed to WFAA that 1,955 miles of its water mains are still cast iron -- a sign that 38% of that infrastructure consists of aging, outdated pipes.
According to a city spokesperson, Dallas has 5,050 miles of water mains, and the city spends between $120 to $160 million every year to rehabilitate and replace water and wastewater mains.
Per the spokesperson, the investments allow the water infrastructure to function with minimal disruption during peak demand.
The city wouldn't elaborate on why the pipe burst, but plumbing and utility experts told WFAA that heat is likely to be the culprit.
Lee McFarland of Herndon McFarland Plumbing has been servicing the metroplex for 28 years.
He replaces cast iron piping underneath residential homes frequently.
"It was very popular in the late 1950s," McFarland said. "It carried on through a residential environment into the mid-1970s."
Laying cast iron took a nosedive because Texas' soil was so moisture-sensitive.
When there isn't much of it, the soil shrinks and puts pressure on pipes.
"Leaks, separations--the drier the conditions, the more of a problem it's going to be," McFarland said.
With temps hanging out above 100 degrees regularly and rarely any rain in the forecast, any cast iron pipe will face stress.
Add high water demand and it could lead to a massive break. That's what the City of Fort Worth experienced along Lancaster Avenue last week when a 30-inch pipe turned the street into a geyser.
Per the Star-Telegram, there have been 378 water main breaks in 2023, with over a third of them coming in the last 30 days. Roughly 90% of those breaks have come from aging cast iron pipes
Many North Texas homes built before the mid-1970s may have cast iron piping, too.
Due to all the excavation, replacing it can cost between $10k and $70k, depending on square footage.
McFarland said the cheapest thing you can do is water your foundation and hope this weather gets cooler sooner rather than later.