You see it all of the time around Houston. Water bubbling out of the ground or spewing from the curb from a busted water pipe. You’ve asked us what is taking so long for the city to fix all the water leaks.
KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis spent the day on the scene with city crews, observing the challenges they face in determining which leaks to prioritize.
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Mike Johnson, assistant director of Houston Public Works, explained, “And even though it’s causing all this, and the water’s laying and it’s running, we pretty much feel it’s a small leak, just a simple gasket.”
What happens after you report a water leak to the city of Houston?
When residents report a leak by calling 3-1-1, the city first sends an inspector to determine if the leak is on the city’s side or the homeowners.
You may see colored flags placed at the site of water leaks. Here is what the flag colors mean.
- Blue: marks the spot. It is the city’s responsibility
- Yellow: there are gas lines under these flags
- Red: there are electric lines under these flags
- Brown: there are communications lines (like cable and fiber) under these flags
However, if the leak does not threaten the water supply at a school or hospital, the city waits 48 hours for gas, electric, and communication utilities to mark their lines.
How long does it take to get a water leak fixed?
On average, leaks flow for about 41 days before repair crews arrive.
Johnson noted, “This customer, I think this one’s from the 15th of February.” The visit took place on March 6, indicating a three-week wait.
During one repair, workers discovered the leak was more extensive than anticipated, requiring a 10-foot dig to replace the service line. The repair, which took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., cost $1,893.60, including labor, equipment, and materials. A restoration team will later restore the customer’s yard.
This leak is just one of approximately 1,600 active leaks in the city.
Macchi stated, “We’re talking on a daily basis, we’re getting somewhere between 40 to 70 new work orders a day. It’s a huge job to keep up with.”
How much water is being wasted?
The city of Houston is losing or wasting about 32 billion gallons of water each year from these leaks.
They have identified about 6% of the water lines that are causing the most problems and want to replace those first, then get on a schedule of replacing 2 to 3% of the city’s water lines every year.
Houston Public Works Director Randy Macchi shared with Amy Davis that the city loses about 32 billion gallons of water each year. “That is more water than everyone in the city of Fort Worth uses each year,” Macchi noted.
Addressing the issue, Macchi stated, “I think the theme of your series—'Drained’—is super appropriate because that’s what we’re seeing here. The water is going down the drain. And it shouldn’t be.”
The city has identified approximately 6% of its 7,000 miles of water lines that need immediate replacement, as these lines are responsible for the majority of the water loss.
Following these urgent repairs, Houston Public Works plans to replace 2 to 3% of the lines each year. The city is actively lobbying both Austin and Washington, D.C., for funding to support these necessary repairs.
