Public Works

Welcome to Public Works

Please report any water or wastewater concerns to (972) 468-4000, between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.  After-hours call (972) 468-4236.  If you are inquiring about water billing concerns or water meter related items, please contact the Customer Service Center at 972-468-4100.

Responsibilities & Services

The employees of the Public Works Department provide a vital public service through planning, engineering, constructing, inspecting, operating, and maintaining Murphy's public infrastructure.  All of the city streets, signs, water/wastewater utilities, city-wide distribution system, and the storm drainage systems are maintained by 10 public works employees.  The division strives to ensure high quality residential and commercial development, invest time to provide and maintain high quality public assets, promote ease of mobility throughout the city, and provide a high degree of customer service and satisfaction. 

After-Hours Emergencies

For after-hours emergency water line breaks and wastewater backup calls, please contact Police Dispatch at (972) 468-4236

Where Our Water Comes From

The City of Murphy receives drinking water from (NTMWD) North Texas Municipal Water District. Murphy’s water is mainly from Lake Lavon. The NTMWD Water Treatment Plants are in Wylie, Texas. Lavon Lake serves as the NTMWD’s main raw water supply source, with the NTMWD holding water rights in the reservoir. Lavon Lake also serves as a terminal reservoir for additional supplies that are transferred to the reservoir to augment supplies from Lake Texoma, Jim Chapman Lake, Lake Bonham, and the East Fork Wetland Project. Additional supplies are available through a contract with the Sabine River Authority (SRA), providing for water transfer to Lavon Lake from Lake Tawakoni, and from a contract with the Greater Texoma Utility Authority for additional supplies from Lake Texoma. Murphy’s distribution system is supplied by two large capacity supply lines passing through the city, sufficient water for the foreseeable future is assured.

About Our Water Supply

The City of Murphy supplies water to over 6,200 households and businesses. The City has generator backup power supplies to ensure that water and wastewater services will have power available even through extended power outages. Two Elevated Storage Tanks (EST) with a capacity of 1-million-gallon each supply the northern part of the city. The EST’s are located on West Betsy Lane and Rodeo Drive. The Hawthorne Pump Station houses three Ground Storage Tanks (GST), including a 2-million-gallon, a 1-million-gallon, and a 250,000-gallon GST to supply the southern side of the City. The City’s water pressure average is 65 PSI.

Water Odor & Taste

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) Wylie, Leonard, Tawakoni and Bonham water treatment plants will begin conversion to free chlorine on Monday, March 3 at 8:00 am as part of our annual temporary change in disinfectant.  All NTMWD water plants will then resume the use of chloramines on Monday March 31 at 8:00 am.  District staff will monitor the conversion process each of these weeks as it progresses through our transmission system.  For more information about the Annual Water System Maintenance taking place from March 3 - 31, 2025, please refer to this press release from NTMWD.

Wastewater Infrastructure

The City has a complete conveyance sanitary sewer system with required capacity by connecting to a 30-inch main line with the Muddy Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility in Wylie, Texas. The City of Murphy does not treat any wastewater collected.