HOUSTON, Texas – Houston is facing a significant water crisis, with leaks across the city wasting more water than the entire city of Fort Worth uses in a year.
An astonishing 32 billion gallons of treated water are lost annually, flowing down Houston’s streets and into its sewers.
Residents frequently report these leaks, seeking assistance to have them repaired. KPRC 2 Investigative reporter Amy Davis explores why the city struggles to address these issues promptly.
“Thirty-two billion gallons, that’s more than the entire city of Fort Worth uses,” said Randy Macchi, Houston Public Works Director. “It’s crazy to say we lost more than an entire city in the state of Texas.”
For residents like Celso Mendoza, the situation is frustrating. He waited three months for the city to fix a leak in his front yard.
“It’s a waste,” Mendoza said.
He recalled being advised during a snowstorm not to run water lines to avoid affecting pumps, yet the leaks are far more significant than a dripping water line.
Public Works crews are working tirelessly to address water leaks
On Willow Glen Drive, two leaks within two blocks required repair, considered minor breaks.
“Every leak is addressed as it’s called in,” said a Public Works representative.
The repair process is labor-intensive.
Crews use buckets to remove water from meter boxes and hand shovels to dig down broken gaskets. Houston Public Works has about 15 three-man crews working daily on these repairs. Two blocks down, another crew uses an excavator to reach a broken water line, turning off the main line while they work.
- The city reports around 1,600 active water leaks, with 40 to 70 new ones emerging daily.
- Each crew repairs, on average, less than two leaks a day, totaling about 30 leaks fixed daily out of 1,600.
“The volume of work that we have in front of us is absolutely monstrous,” said Macchi.
The repairs prevent crews from performing routine maintenance, such as replacing old lines before they break. Ideally, a utility of Houston’s size should replace 2-3% of its pipes annually, but the city hasn’t achieved that over 10 years.
Out of 7,000 miles of water and sewer lines, the city has identified 6% causing the majority of water loss.
The goal is to replace these lines first. Macchi explained that funding is a challenge, with efforts underway to secure financial support from various sources, including grant programs and federal assistance.
Despite increased water bills since 2021, Macchi stated that the revenue is insufficient to cover all necessary repairs and maintenance.
In addition to 15 city crews, 10 contractors and others in procurement are helping to address the active leaks. In June the city hopes to outsource 30 additional contractors.
You can report a water leak by calling 3-1-1 or visiting the 311 website. There you can also see a map of the active leaks in your area.
