Keeping information private
The Texas Legislature passed H.B. 872 in 2021 in an effort to protect sensitive customer information from predatory practices. The bill applies to information held by a municipally-owned utility that provides water, wastewater, gas, garbage, electricity or drainage service.
The law prohibits the utility from disclosing information for residential customers under the Public Information Act, unless the customer requests the information be public or certain exceptions apply. This includes the following types of information:
- customer's address,
- information that reveals whether an account is delinquent, eligible for disconnection or had service discontinued by the government-operated utility, and
- information collected as part of an advanced metering system for usage, services and billing, including amounts billed or collected for utility usage.
Privacy Policy relating to Social Security numbers
Submitting a written disclosure request
Customers can elect to disclose their information to either a specific designated individuals or the public at-large by completing a written form.
To submit a disclosure request, please print, complete, sign and mail the Customer Authorization for Disclosure of Information form. You may also hand carry the form to the Downtown Customer Service Office, located on the fifth floor of City Hall, 100 Fort Worth Trail or mail the form to Fort Worth Water, Customer Relations, P. O. Box 870, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Download the Customer Authorization for Disclosure of Information form(PDF, 262KB)
Descargar el formulario de Autorización para Dar a Conocer Información de Cliente con la que Cuenta la Compañía de Agua(PDF, 323KB)
Exceptions to confidentiality
State law does not prohibit a government-operated utility from disclosing personal information in a customer’s account record to:
- an official or employee of the state, a political subdivision of the state, or the United States acting in an official capacity;
- an employee of a utility acting in connection with the employee's duties;
- a consumer reporting agency;
- a contractor or subcontractor approved by and providing services to the utility, the state, a political subdivision of the state, or the United States;
- a person for whom the customer has contractually waived confidentiality for personal information; or
- another entity that provides water, wastewater, sewer, gas, garbage, electricity, or drainage service for compensation.