Customer Focus
Improving our customer experience was a key component when the Utility transitioned to remote- read meters and began to offer data from those readings on a portal. The idea was to let our customers play a role in decision making about their water use as well as how they stay connected to us.
Under the program name MyH2O, in the last two years our customers have experienced significant upgrades in their ability to view usage data and change habits – all designed to help the Utility reduce water loss and customers repair leaks before they become too costly.
A major change to the portal in 2024 now enables customers to select having continuous usage notifications emailed, texted or sent by push notification. This alert is triggered when usage is greater than 1 cf, or about 7.5 gallons, for 72 consecutive hours.
This can be a valuable tool for customers to monitor and alter their water consumption on a more real- time and regular basis. Commercial customers received access to the portal in late 2023. These customers can manage multiple accounts under one login.
By the end of Fiscal Year 2024, just under 188,000 customers were registered on the portal.
Water Supply and Conservation
Irrigation is a significant factor in how our customers use water.
Through MyH2O, Fort Worth Water has data at its fingertips that is being used to promote efficient water use through the City’s water conservation programs and irrigation ordinance.
To promote water conservation, the City adopted an irrigation ordinance in 2007 that prohibits irrigation between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., the time of day when evaporation is at its highest. In 2014, the ordinance was strengthened to include no more than twice-a- week watering for all customers.
From remote meter readings, the Utility collects usage data, and can track daily and hourly usage trends.
Analysis of the data from the summer months found that about 18,800 customers each week were not following the ordinance, either by watering on the wrong day, more than twice a week, or during prohibited hours. Furthermore, the data indicated that 31% of the violations were on commercial irrigation meters.
The Utility began sending water advisory postcards, emails and text messages to customers using more than 500 gallons of water per hour during restricted times, an amount pointing to irrigation system use and not hand-held hose watering. The notice reminds them of the City ordinance requirements.
About 79,000 post cards were mailed, and 4,000 emails and 16,000 text messages were sent during the first few months of the effort. It paid off -- between July and September, the number of violations dropped 43%. Irrigation typically falls off during the fall and winter months.
For customers with repeated violations, the City’s irrigation ordinance allows the Utility to charge fees to their water bill. The fines are $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second offense and $75 for the third offense. After the third violation, the Utility will lock out service with additional fees to turn water back on.
This proactive approach will help ensure the Utility can meet future demand and promote more sustainable water usage well into the future.
Workforce
Hiring and retaining good job candidates is a constant activity for Fort Worth Water.
For Water Customer Relations, some success has come in hiring through a partnership with Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County. The program, which is under the direction of the Texas Workforce Commission, is setup to respond to the needs of employers and workers at the local level.
Fort Worth Water became a program partner in 2021, and their services have been used by field operations and meter services staff. In April 2023, the Utility’s Contact Center sought their help in recruiting customer service representatives.
Essentially, Workforce Solutions finds potential job candidates, performs background checks and refers them to the Utility for interviews, selection and training. Workforce Solutions pays for their 12-week training and other employment costs. If successful in completing training and a job vacancy is available, Fort Worth Water will, at minimum, offer an entry level customer service representative position.
In the first six months of the program, 28 applicants were offered to participate in customer service training and 19 accepted. Three of the workers were employed as senior customer service representatives, while two had their training program extended until budgets were approved for their hiring. Another two were in training at a later time.
Emergency Preparedness
In the months following the February 2021 winter storm, the Utility briefed City Council on the investment needed to improve water system reliability in the event of regional power disruption and curtailments.
That briefing was incorporated into the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality-mandated Emergency Preparedness Plan for the Utility. In 2022, the TCEQ approved Fort Worth’s emergency preparedness plan, required of utilities statewide.
Work to implement our plan continues, with most of the projects either completed or in construction. The Utility moved quickly to improve our ability to operate when the power is disrupted. Most projects were completed ahead of schedule.
Completed projects include adding backup generator power to the Westside Water Treatment Plant, fully enclosing the outdoor high service pump stations at the Westside and Eagle Mountain water plants, and replacing the backup generator for the SCADA Control Center.
Projects in construction include the backup generator power supply for the North and South Holly water treatment plants, installation of backup power generation at four critical pump stations, and installation of a new transmission-supplied sub- station by Oncor at the Eagle Mountain plant. These projects are slated to be completed in 2025 and 2026.
A critical fuel storage and distribution station is in design for the Field Operations service center at the Holly plants, which will provide fuel storage for emergency generator use, as well as for the Utility’s fleet should the fuel supply be disrupted by power outages.
