As North Texas braces for a population boom, Dallas Water Utilities is planning decades ahead to meet future water demands for more than 5 million people.
As the demand for water spikes, one of North Texas' largest water providers, Dallas Water Utilities — which provides water to around 2.6 million people in Dallas and nearby communities — is planning for that number to double.
Nestled near White Rock Lake a more than 100-year-old building shows just how long Dallas Water Utilities has been providing water to the North Texas region.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HERE
Dallas Water Utilities is striving to meet the need not just for the City of Dallas, but for 23 other cities around the area as well.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP And as the population continues to grow the need for long-range planning does too.
"The state is one of the fastest growing in the country," said Dallas Water Utilities director Sarah Sandifer. "Water planning is a 40-year effort. It doesn't happen overnight."
The service area for Dallas Water Utilities is projected to grow from 3 million people to more than 5 million by 2070.
"So if you go into the Long Range Water Supply Plan, we've got a number of initiatives. They include everything from looking at — what does groundwater storage look like, what does reuse look like, in a different way," said Sandifer. "So not just about making new water, but using the existing water source sand recycling them in some form or fashion."
Right now, Dallas Water Utilities can treat around 900 million gallons of water a day from places like Lake Lewisville and Grapevine Lake, and that number is expected to grow.
"It is imperative that we do this right, and you only get one shot to do it right," said Sandifer.
