Service line inventory

The service line connects the water main to the building inlet. The utility owns the portion from the main to the water meter and the water meter. The property owner is responsible for the portion from the meter to the building inlet.

To comply with new federal requirements, Fort Worth Water submitted an inventory of all service line materials to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The service line connects the water main to the home or building inlet. 

Service line ownership is shared between the water utility and the property owner.  The utility owns the portion from the main to the water meter and the water meter. The property owner is responsible for the portion from the water meter to the building inlet.

The utility is required to make the inventory publicly available on its website. EPA has established four designations for overall service line classification: lead, galvanized requiring replacement, non-lead or unknown. None of the service lines in Fort Worth are classified as lead or unknown.

An interactive map allows customers to easily look up the information by typing their address into the box in the upper part of the map. It may take a few seconds to fully load because of the amount of information displayed.

Information in the inventory is subject to change. The utility will notify the property owner and persons served at that location if the service line classification changes to lead or galvanized-requiring replacement.

If you believe the service line materials are different than what is shown on the map, complete the online Dispute Service Line Material Form or call customer service at 817-392-4477. Staff will investigate within 60 days.

Service line inventory map

Map instructions

When the map opens, a disclaimer box is shown. You must check the box at the bottom of the disclaimer, indicating you accept the terms of use. You cannot proceed to the map without agreeing to the terms. 

The information below is also in the "Map Information" box on the map. 

Search Address

Click or tap the Search bar on the upper left corner of the map and enter your address.

  • Search results take you to the property meter box.
  • Click or tap the dot for the service line material information.
  • Service line material owned by the utility is on the left side of the dot.
  • Service line material owned by the customer is on the right side of the dot.
  • Fort Worth Water is required to provide a single classification for the entire service line, called the entire service line material classification.

Turn Layer On/Off

The map defaults to show all location material throughout the service area.

Click or tap the boxes to remove the check mark, hiding the layers you do not want to view

Map Definitions

Lead – All or a portion of the service line is determined through an inspection at the meter box to be lead.

Galvanized Requiring Replacement – The customer’s portion is galvanized pipe that is confirmed to be or at one time to have been downstream of a lead service line as the utility’s portion. When the utility cannot confirm its portion was never lead, it must presume its portion was lead at some time in the past.

Non-Lead – The service line is determined through an inspection at the meter box not to be lead or galvanized requiring replacement.

Unknown – The service line material is unknown.  (Fort Worth has no service lines classified as unknown)

Note: The maps provided by Fort Worth are based on historical data, information acquired during physical inspections, and record reviews. Fort Worth does not guarantee the accuracy of these records and map. These are provided for informational purposes only. This information is provided for the sole purpose of providing property owners and residents with Fort Worth's best available data regarding their private water services, and not for any commercial, legal, or other use. These records are periodically updated as Fort Worth gathers additional information.

 

Galvanized requiring replacement service lines

Galvanized pipes

  • Galvanized pipes are made with a protective layer of zinc, which erodes over time and results in corrosion.
  • Galvanized pipes do not contain lead.
  • If the utility-owned portion of the service line was ever lead, the corroded areas of galvanized pipe can trap lead particles and release them over time.
  • Galvanized pipes were installed in many homes in Fort Worth. While most homes in Fort Worth with galvanized service lines were built before 1970, a record review shows galvanized plumbing is in some homes built since then.

Homes and business with galvanized pipes where the city-owned portion of the service line was once made of lead are at risk for the release of lead in water. Galvanized pipes can accumulate lead that is released from lead service lines and release it over time. This lead in galvanized home plumbing can periodically contribute to lead in drinking water long after the lead plumbing materials are removed.

The only way to prevent lead from being released from plumbing into the tap water is to fully replace the galvanized plumbing and service lines. Galvanized pipes may continue to serve as a lead source in drinking water long after all other lead plumbing materials are removed, including lead service lines and fixtures.

How can I identify galvanized pipes?

Our guide can help you to identify galvanized pipes. You can also contact a licensed plumber for assistance.

 

 

 

Notifying customers

Property owners and tenants, if applicable, were notified by letter when a lead service line was found. It is possible the utility could find a lead service line in the future. The utility will notify the person or people served at the location  and the property owner if a lead service line is found in the future.

As a result of regulatory changes effective Oct. 16, 2024, Fort Worth is notifying all people served at locations with service lines classified as lead or galvanized requiring replacement.

Letters are being sent to all property owners/managers of multi-family and multi-commercial properties so they are aware in case the letters generate calls from the tenants. 

Finding and replacing lead service lines

As part of its asset management program, the utility started an in-house project in April 2016 to obtain GPS coordinates for every meter in the city. At the same time, staff checked and recorded the pipe material of the service line on both sides of the meter.  The project finished collecting information on existing homes and businesses in July 2022. Adding new homes and businesses to the inventory is an ongoing process.

Developments built since 1989 would have neither lead service lines nor private plumbing lines that are lead, but plumbing fixtures in the home or business could contain lead. The current lead-free standard for plumbing fixtures did not take effect until Jan. 1, 2014. These locations could still have brass or chrome-plated brass faucets, galvanized pipes or other plumbing soldered with lead. 

Fort Worth has no information on the type of material used in private plumbing lines inside homes and business. Customers who think their home or business could be at risk, can hire a licensed plumber to perform an inspection.

For decades, Fort Worth replaced lead service lines through normal maintenance activity and water line rehabilitation projects. Through its inventory process, lead service lines were replaced as they were found. All known lead service lines on the city-side are replaced.

The Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require all public water systems to submit a service line inventory to the state regulatory agency by  Oct. 16, 2024. Because of its proactive efforts on developing its inventory, Fort Worth has no service line materials classified as "unknown" in the inventory it submitted.  

Oct. 16, 2024 Inventory Summary

Service Line Material Classification
 Utility-owned portion
Customer-owned portion
Entire Service Line Classification
 Lead  0  0  0
 Galvanized Requiring Replacement  Not applicable  32,590  32,590
 Non-Lead  300,778  268,188 268,188
 Lead Status Unknown 0  0  0
 Total  300,778 300,778  300,778

Note: The maps provided by Fort Worth are based on historical data, information acquired during physical inspections, and record reviews. Fort Worth  does not guarantee the accuracy of these records and map. These are provided for informational purposes only.  This information is provided for the sole purpose of providing property owners and residents with Fort Worth's best available data regarding their private water services, and not for any commercial, legal, or other use.  These records will be periodically updated as Fort Worth gathers additional information.

Image at top of page: This image illustrates service line ownership. The water utility owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the water meter and the meter. The property owner is responsible for the portion from the water meter to the building inlet.