Fort Worth tries to keep up as its water lines age

By Bill Hanna

billhanna@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH -- When an aging water or sewer line breaks, it can often leave a big mess.

That's what happened when an old sewer line collapsed last month, creating a sinkhole on a woman's property off Randol Mill Road in far east Fort Worth.

In that case, the Fort Worth Water Department was already working on a project to replace the sewer line, but the collapse, which may have been exacerbated by floodwaters, occurred before it could be completed.

Incidents like that are fairly rare, water department officials say, but they highlight the ongoing need to keep pace with replacing aging pipes, not just to prevent collapses but also to stop leaks and protect water quality.

"Some of the replacement is mandated by street projects, some of it by condition and maintenance aspects," said Andy Cronberg, assistant director at the water department. "If we have 15 breaks on a line in the last three years, that goes to the front of the line."

With an estimated leakage rate of 14.5 percent, which includes water main breaks, overflows and defective valves, Fort Worth is continually trying to replace its oldest and most troublesome pipes. It uses lasers on some pipes to measure wear and tear while inserting cameras into others to visually inspect them.

In fiscal 2010, the most recent year for which data is available, the city had 3,511 miles of water lines and replaced about 20 miles. For wastewater, it had 3,469 miles of sewer lines and replaced about 11 miles.

That's far less than the old goals of replacing 2 percent annually, but officials said those guidelines are unrealistic with the city's rapid growth since the mid-1990s. Cronberg also noted that many post-World War II pipes appear to have a lifespan beyond the old 50-year benchmark.

But the amount of pipe that gets replaced can vary widely each year, since it is often tied to large public works projects in the city, Cronberg said.

In fiscal 2011, $35 million in pipeline contracts were awarded, while $126 million were awarded in fiscal 2010. A number of relocation projects in 2010 were tied to work on Trinity River Vision projects and on Texas 121.

A balancing act

Aging water infrastructure isn't just a local issue.

The American Water Works Association is preparing to release a study next month that shows that water infrastructure needs will exceed $1 trillion each for water and wastewater over the next 25 years.

"What we know is utilities are beginning to ramp up their spending on this," said Tom Curtis, AWWA's deputy executive director. "We know we're going to see these entities spend a lot more in the next 5, 10, 20 years than they are today."

For those that fall behind, the costs can be significant.

In one of the most extreme cases, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency went to federal court in August and obtained a consent decree against the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District that requires it to spend an estimated $4.7 billion over 23 years to deal with illegal sewage overflows.

"The risk of not making investment is twofold," Curtis said. "First, you spend a lot more in emergency repairs, and it's quite damaging in water and sewer breaks. And if you put off making improvements because of political or financial pressure, the costs only get higher. It is definitely a case of pay me now or pay me later."

Fort Worth Water Department spokeswoman Mary Gugliuzza said the city must remain cost-conscious while replacing pipes. "We have to factor this in with the impact of rates," Gugliuzza said. "How much can our residents really afford and tolerate?"

Century-old pipes

Some pipes date back a century or more.

In October, Fort Worth removed a 119-year-old valve from its North Holly water treatment plant that dated to the plant's opening in 1892. The city also inherited 7.71 miles of asbestos concrete when it annexed the Lake Country Estates area on the far west side. Gugliuzza said those pipes pose no threat to water quality as long as they are in the ground, but they could create problems if they are disturbed.

"If we had to replace it, that's when it would pose a concern," Gugliuzza said.

Bill Hanna, 817-390-7698

Twitter: @fwhanna

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