Water leaks remain among City of Houston's top 311 complaints for the past year, data shows

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Data shows water leaks are the number one reason people call 311 in the City of Houston.

For about a month, Clariece Barefield said she and her neighbors on Beldart Street in southeast Houston called the city to request that they repair a water leak.

"My neighbor over there called 311 and reported it. I called 311. Her daughter came down next weekend and called and said she was going to call Channel 13," she explained.

This weekend, Barefield said Houston Public Works responded and fixed the leak. A spokesperson confirmed one of the department's trucks got stuck in a hole they had dug in the process.

Neighbors told ABC13 they felt the situation shed light on the broader ongoing problem with leaks in the city.

Data shows that despite recent improvements, water leaks have remained among the top 311 complaints in the city for the past year.

In 2023, leaks lost 32 billion gallons of water, enough to supply the entire City of Fort Worth.

This September, public works told ABC13 that about 20% of the city's aging water lines needed to be replaced. As of September, they had replaced about 6% of them.

It is an estimated project worth several billion dollars. A spokesperson said the cost should not be passed down to customers. Nor should the cost of this leak on Beldart Street, as it was on a public street, not on private property.

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