Water stopped flowing down an East Dallas street after a city-maintained water line leaked for 40 days, but neighbors are questioning why it took so long to repair it. Dallas Water Utilities crews worked Wednesday to stop the leak on San Fernando Way, which neighbors first reported July 31. Neigh bor Ryan Isaacs documented crews making the repairs. “No more lake at the end of Lakeland,” Isaacs said, later elaborating, “40 days seems excessive.” NBC DFW first reported on the leak Monday, when Isaacs said neighbors had repeatedly notified the city about the problem. “Everybody knew about the water leak, everyone has reported the water leak, but nothing has been actually done,” Isaacs said. Dallas Water Utilities said the leak was initially categorized on the lower end of its four-tier response priorities. The most severe ruptures receive a Level 4 designation, with repairs completed within 24 hours. Smaller leaks on neighborhood lines are placed in a queue with no set average repair time. In this case, that meant water continued flowing down San Fernando Way around the clock. The leak comes as Dallas Water Utilities deals with broader water loss across its system. A June memo revealed more than 10 billion gallons of real water loss occurred last year, about 200 million gallons more than the previous year. Dallas Water Utilities said high temperatures this summer have increased water demand while also contributing to more breaks and leaks. The utility cited increased water velocity and North Texas’ dry, shifting soil. As for the San Fernando Way leak, Dallas Water Utilities said in a statement that it eventually raised the leak’s priority after another assessment. “Reassessment of the leak indicated that it is now negatively impacting private property, elevating its priority, and has now moved for the repair queue tentatively for September 9.” That response arrived as the repairs Isaacs documented were wrapping up. Isaacs said the work should have been done sooner. “I would be questioning how this leak, when everybody could see that it was making a lake at the end of the road, how that doesn’t move up the priority list as time goes on,” Isaacs said. Dallas Water Utilities said 488 other known leaks across its system are currently in the queue for repairs. ...read more read less