Irving Water Supply

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The Story Behind the Irving Water Supply Project

Visionary leadership is exceptional, and only a few are privileged to see ideas from inception to fruition. But Irving saw a need in the 1950s, and realized its dream nearly 40 years later to control its water destiny.

Trucks with large water pipes lined up on highway.
Delivery of the pipes used to deliver fresh water to Irving residents from Lake Jim Chapman.

During this time, drought conditions threatened and Texas cities began to run out of water. Irving city leaders recognized this significant trend before it became a problem, and worked to head it off at the pass - or in this case, at the lake. Lake Jim Chapman, to be specific.


Located just east of Commerce, Texas, and north of Sulphur Springs, Texas, the lake was identified as a solution in 1964, and construction was initiated. Water rights were contracted in 1968 from the Army Corps of Engineers. After 14 years of legal battles over environmental concerns, ground was broken for the dam in 1986. Lake construction was completed in 1991, followed by a dedication and gate closure for water impoundment.

Financing the Project

The financial obligations involved in building a lake created obstacles. Ultimately, the largest public works project ever undertaken by Irving was paid for phase-by-phase.


Over the five decades of development, Irving financed the project with only a 10 cent/thousand gallons rate increase. Ultimately, completion was on-time, within budget and resulted in water rates below those required when Dallas provided all Irving water.


In 1991, Irving officials oversaw multiple construction phases for infrastructure and land acquisition costing about $8.5 million. Delivery capacity was 75 million gallons per day (MGD), with room for expansion, and water arrived in Irving starting in June 2003.

Today + Tomorrow

Water must travel almost 75 miles through Delta, Hopkins, Hunt, Collin and Denton Counties before flowing into Lewisville Lake. From there, the City of Dallas pulls water for treatment at the Elm Fork Water Treatment Plant. Current contracts with Dallas are for treatment and to ensure Jim Chapman Lake water has a supplemental backup.


Growth across Texas and the DFW metroplex will increase water supply issues. Irving's proactive stance has positioned the city for long-term water security.


Since Chapman water began flowing in 2003, the city has added to its role in the transfer of this vital resource. Further expansion was achieved in February 2025 by tying the original transfer pipeline to a newly constructed 32-mile transmission line from Lake Ralph Hall, which will be a major supply for Upper Trinity Regional Water District by the end of 2026.