The city of Fort Worth’s annual water quality report provides information about drinking water, including sources, water quality and treatment processes.
The details
For 2022, the report listed no violations with regard to any of the tests that were administered. It also listed several changes that are on the way to address changing regulatory, economic and legislative environments. These include:
- A 100-year-old infrastructure facelift: After 100 years of service, it is time to replace many of the cast iron water mains in Fort Worth’s oldest neighborhoods. In fiscal year 2022, 87% of the main breaks were cast iron pipes. Fort Worth has about 815 miles of cast iron mains in its system. To address frequent main breaks, utility management committed to replacing a minimum of 20 miles of cast iron pipe every year. There are 55 miles of cast iron mains at various stages of design for replacement in fiscal year 2023 and beyond.
- Compliance with new federal regulations: All public water systems must comply with the new rules to meet new federal regulations related to lead starting Oct. 16, 2024. Some of the key items that Fort Worth Water customers need to know include lead and galvanized pipes downstream of lead pipes in the system will require replacement; the process for customers collecting compliance samples changes from just 1 liter to 5 liter; and customers with service lines classified as lead, galvanized requiring replacement or unknown will receive notices annually.
- Water loss prevention activities increasing: Fort Worth’s total water loss in 2022 was nearly 6.54 billion gallons. This includes losses from main breaks and leaks, service line leaks, theft of water, and meter inaccuracies. Water loss decreased 27% from the previous year and has decreased as the percentage of total produced water for the last four years. The city’s real water loss management plan recommends increasing leak detection activities, establishing district metered areas and increasing transient pressure monitoring.
The backstory
