Extreme heat causes city to be behind schedule on projects and maintenance, Houston officials say
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The City of Houston says the extreme heat is causing problems as departments work to carry out their duties on a day-to-day basis.
A variety of services executed by public works, parks and recreation, and more said they're behind schedule on projects and maintenance as a result of giving employees more breaks in an effort to prevent heat-related illnesses.
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One issue the city's public works department has been dealing with heavily in the last year is broken pipes throughout the city's water infrastructure system.
At the beginning of this year, there were an average of 1,000 leaks per day, and that number fell below 100 at the end of this spring.
As of Monday, the daily average is at 208, and the department said one reason leaks are back on the rise is because they're trying to keep workers out of the heat for prolonged periods.
The Houston Fire Department is also working to keep its employees out of the heat.
"We're actually working to rotate crews as much as possible," an HFD employee told ABC13 in June while responding to a fire.
That means, in some instances, multiple fire stations are fighting a fire so crews can rotate in and out throughout the duration of the blaze.
The Houston Police Department urge their officers to stay hydrated but said the temperatures haven't had a huge impact on their work thanks to officers patrolling the city in air-conditioned cars.
The delays in city services also extend to the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, which says it's providing more breaks to its employees.
Larry Chenier, a division manager in the department, met with ABC13 at Herman Brown Park on Monday and said the public might notice their favorite greenspace isn't being mowed as frequently this summer as a result.
"Typically, this park is done every 14 days," Chenier said. "We may make it here every 16 or 17 days because we're slowing down."
He said the heat is also forcing the department to spend more time and resources on maintaining equipment used to mow, edge, and maintain city parks.
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