The Fort Worth Water Department has been busy this summer: Crews have dealt with about four water main breaks per day for the past 30 days, according to city officials.
Increased demand for water during the scorching summer has put more pressure on the city鈥檚 aging cast iron pipes. Dry ground also is contributing, officials said. Since July, the Dallas/Fort Worth region has seen 31 days over 100 degrees, including 21 straight days from July 24 through Aug. 13, according to
So far, Fort Worth has seen , according to news reports. In the past 30 days, the city saw 130 breaks.
The water department previously saw an average of two water main breaks per day, said Mary Gugliuzza, Fort Worth water utility spokesperson.
鈥淲e ask for patience from the public,鈥� Gugliuzza said
Fort Worth has over 800 miles of cast iron pipes. The public works and water departments are working together to replace the iron pipes across the city, District 2 Council member Carlos Flores said.
Residents should the city as soon as they see a water main break, Gugliuzza said. Residents are advised not to drive over the water main break because of the possibility of a hole underneath the flowing water.
Gugliuzza emphasized last summer had more water main breaks than this summer. Fort Worth had in 2022, according to the city.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 feel like that right now, but ,鈥� Guglizza said.
Repairs take about six hours, according to city officials. Once a water line is repaired, a different crew will come and fix the actual road.
Overall water usage in the city is down compared to last year, Flores said.
Juan Salinas II is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at juan.salinas@fortworthreport.org or on . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy . Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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