The largest Texas cities, by population, “lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year,” according to a July 5 article in the Texas Tribune.

The primary factors are water leaks and main breaks, reports the Tribune, which identifies Houston, San Antonio and Dallas as the three cities with the biggest losses according to their self-reported water audits. “The cities of Houston and Dallas saw the biggest increase in lost water reported,” the newspaper states. “Houston saw a 30% jump from last year's audit, while Dallas saw an increase of 18%.”

Aging water infrastructure and extreme heat are cited as reasons for the problem, which is costing Texas cities “millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply.”

No surprise then that “water leaks have become the leading cause of 311 calls since 2021,” with a 30% jump from 2022 to 2023, reported an April article in Houstonia. “As pressure for the city to address this issue rises, Houston Public Works is faced with the dilemma of a decaying system—a vast network riddled with miles of pipes nearing the end of their lifespan.”

The current strains on the state’s water supplies are only the beginning of its chronic dehydration. According to a report by the Texas Water Development Board, “If strategies are  not implemented approximately one-quarter of Texas’s population in 2070 would have less than half the municipal water supplies they will require during a (severe) drought . . .”

Something needs to be done, but it isn’t going to be cheap. According to a Lone-Star-based think tank, Texas 2036, “Texas will need to spend more than $150 billion over the next 50 years on water infrastructure. This price tag includes the costs associated with building new water supplies, developing flood control and mitigation strategies, and fixing aging, deteriorating water and wastewater systems across the state.”

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