Fort Worth accelerates cast-iron water main replacement to prevent breaks and improve infrastructure

Fort Worth, Texas – Fort Worth’s water utility is taking aggressive steps to address aging infrastructure by focusing on 205 miles of cast-iron water mains currently in construction or design. This work is part of a larger effort to reduce the number of frequent and costly main breaks that have plagued the city’s water system for years.

“Cast-iron pipes are responsible for over 85% of annual main breaks,” a statistic that underscores why Fort Worth has made replacing these pipes a top priority. The February 2021 winter storm revealed the vulnerability of the aging system, with more than 700 breaks in cast-iron water lines reported during the extreme cold.

To address this, the utility department has committed to a replacement goal of 20 miles per year, ensuring progress is steady and systematic.

Prioritizing Large-Diameter Transmission Mains

The issue gained renewed urgency after a significant break in August 2023 on West Lancaster Avenue, which involved a large-diameter cast-iron water main. That incident led officials to prioritize the 58 miles of 16-inch and larger pipes, which pose greater risk if they fail. Currently, 25 miles of these high-risk water transmission mains are either in construction or design.

The plan includes 18 major replacement projects for large-diameter cast-iron water lines, all of which are expected to be completed by 2030, depending on available funding. In addition, smaller-diameter cast-iron rehabilitation projects are added each year to the city’s active design list.

Residents can learn more about how Fort Worth’s infrastructure departments are working together to protect long-term public investments, reduce repeated construction disruptions, and build utility systems and streets that are made to last.