Faced with looming infrastructure issues, the City of Fort Worth proposed raising water rates by 3% to upgrade existing pipes.

The rate increase has been set out in the upcoming budget for fiscal year 2024. The change would mean that residents paying an average monthly bill of $71.08 could see an increase of $2.18. While still lower than the water rates charged in Plano and Mansfield, the new rate would surpass those in Dallas and Arlington.

Still, Mary Gugliuzza, the media relations and communications coordinator for the Fort Worth Water Department, told WFAA that the current state of the city’s water infrastructure calls for something to be done.

Triple-digit temperatures prompted higher water usage over the summer and strained the city’s water system, leading to water main breaks, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

“Rehab and replacement is just as important as growth,” Gugliuzza said, per WFAA. “We need to be able to spend money to accommodate both.”

Fort Worth has approximately 800 miles of deteriorating cast iron pipes running below ground. Progress has been slow, with the city averaging roughly 20 miles of new pipe lays a year.

At the current pace, it could take around four decades to fully upgrade the outdated pipes. The city has been keen to accelerate things but needs more taxpayer money to do so.

“We’ve all seen inflation in the things that we buy,” Gugliuzza told WFAA. “We’re seeing it in the cost to do construction as well.”

However, the water rate is also influenced by the prices set by the Trinity River Authority, which plans to expand its north Fort Worth facility. It is also affected by interest rates.

“Interest rates are going up for everybody and even though we have very good bond ratings, we still get impacted by that,” explained Gugliuzza, per WFAA.

Although it could add another layer of financial pressure on residents, the proposed rate increase could be a pivotal step in managing Fort Worth’s aging water infrastructure as it swiftly approaches a tipping point.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the problem burst to the surface on August 17. A 30-inch pipe in the 1300 block of W. Lancaster Avenue broke, pumping water through Fort Worth’s downtown area. The water caused disruptions both to morning traffic and residents’ water supply.