Frequently Asked Questions

A service line connects the water main to your home or business. This line is made up of two separate pipes. One connects the water main to the water meter, and the other connects the water meter to your home or business.

Per the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. 

Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. 

Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, issued rules requiring water systems to notify customers regarding known or potential service lines containing lead. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, oversees the State of Texas program and requires that all customers be noticed unless the water system has verified that their service line does not contain lead.

The City of Denison, who provides your water, has checked approximately 50% of all City water service lines. Less than 1% were confirmed to be lead. The remaining uninventoried service lines will be inspected in the coming months. Lines that need to be replaced will be replaced by the City at no cost to you.   

Traces of lead are typically introduced into water through the corrosion of lead pipes, solders, fixtures, fittings, and faucets.  Prior to 1988, lead was commonly used on these ways.

Lead was prohibited to be used as a service line material in Texas with the State lead ban on July 1, 1988. Homes built after this are designated as having non-lead service lines. The City of Denison will inventory all service lines.

If a lead service line is identified at your home, you will be notified in writing by the City of Denison. A service line replacement plan has been developed and is currently in review for approval by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ. 

The City’s contractor will replace any lead service lines identified through the inventory and replacement program. The replacement will be from the water main to the building line of your home or business. This will be at no cost to you.

Boiling water is not effective in removing lead from drinking water. Using cold water for drinking and cooking, replacing old fixtures, cleaning out aerators, and using home filters certified for lead removal are all effective methods for minimizing lead exposure in drinking water. The EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water is a useful resource for finding a filter that will reduce lead.

Yes. Verify that the filter you purchase is Certified to reduce lead in drinking water. The EPA’s Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water is a useful resource.

Check the EPA’s on-line step by step guide to learn how to find lead pipes in your home: Protect Your Tap.

If you would like to know more about having your water tested at a local laboratory, please call Melissa at Public Works at 903-465-2720 ext. 2451.

EPA Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water

EPA on-line step by step guide to learn how to find lead pipes in your home: Protect Your Tap

EPA Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water   

CDC Recommended Actions Based on Blood Lead Level

EPA Lead in Drinking Water Infographic 

The City will notify you in writing if your service line is a replaceable material such as lead or galvanized. You can also search your address here /DocumentCenter/View/2468. If the service line material is listed as unknown, the City will inventory your service line in Phase 2 of the project. Phase 2 inventory has begun and is scheduled to be completed by November 2025.