Smell that?

Durango shows you the mess left behind from the sanitary sewer line break at the Tandy Hills.

But, as we all know, we have more important things to worry about spending money on in Fort Worth than the water/sewer infrastructure. Or sidewalks.

The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle and its billion dollar price tag, that's the priority project for this town.

A town in dire need of having a little lake, some canals and an un-needed flood diversion channel to replace flood control levees which have worked fine for longer than half a century.

With all of Fort Worth's water main and sanitary sewer breaks I wonder if the town can lay claim to being the leakiest town in America?

HOW old?

We've asked this question before, finally some answers. 

YOU don't want to hear them, but YOU can't afford not to.

Read about the 119 year old water lines in Fort Worth.  In the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Water pipelines- Age of pipe by decade

Unknown: 296.3 miles

1910: 5.3 miles

1920: 60.1 miles

1930: 25.5 miles

1940: 116.7 miles

1950: 347.5 miles

1960: 265.7 miles

1970: 298.9 miles

1980: 531.5 miles

1990: 454.5 miles

2000: 990.0 miles

Source: Fort Worth Water Department

In fiscal 2010, the most recent year for which data is available, the city had 3,511 miles of water lines and replaced about 20 miles. For wastewater, it had 3,469 miles of sewer lines and replaced about 11 miles.

That's far less than the old goals of replacing 2 percent annually, but officials said those guidelines are unrealistic with the city's rapid growth since the mid-1990s.

In fiscal 2011, $35 million in pipeline contracts were awarded, while $126 million were awarded in fiscal 2010. A number of relocation projects in 2010 were tied to work on Trinity River Vision projects and on Texas 121.

In one of the most extreme cases, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency went to federal court in August and obtained a consent decree against the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District that requires it to spend an estimated $4.7 billion over 23 years to deal with illegal sewage overflows.

"The risk of not making investment is twofold," Curtis said. "First, you spend a lot more in emergency repairs, and it's quite damaging in water and sewer breaks. And if you put off making improvements because of political or financial pressure, the costs only get higher. It is definitely a case of pay me now or pay me later."

In October, Fort Worth removed a 119-year-old valve from its North Holly water treatment plant that dated to the plant's opening in 1892. The city also inherited 7.71 miles of asbestos concrete when it annexed the Lake Country Estates area on the far west side. Gugliuzza said those pipes pose no threat to water quality as long as they are in the ground, but they could create problems if they are disturbed.

"If we had to replace it, that's when it would pose a concern," Gugliuzza said.

What does infrastructure cost?

Richland Hills is having problems with rainwater leaking into the 50-60 year old sewer system.  How old is YOUR system?  Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Storm-water infiltration into the city's sewer system generated extra charges from Fort Worth's water treatment plant, which caused Richland Hills to withdraw $500,000 from its oil and gas fund to pay the bill, officials said.

Speaking of gas funds, read about Tarrant County leading the way in gas production, while our infrastructure crumbles around us.

But Quin said it's obvious that runoff water is infiltrating the sewers.

"The wastewater charges [from Fort Worth] fluctuate annually with dry and wet periods. Some years it's near $500,000, some $600,000. One year, in 2007, the charges spiked at over $800,000."

FISHY

The City of Fort Worth is being fined for a sewage spill that killed fish in Little Fossil Creek last year. WHO is fining them? The TCEQ.

Read about it on NBCDFW here.

Something Smells...

In Fort Worth, Haltom City, and Saginaw...

What's that smell?  A sewer line.  The story was on WFAA.  The residents say the warmer it gets the worse the smell.  Sounds like no one is really sure where exactly the problem is, they just all know it stinks...

Another day

Another sewer line break in Fort Worth. Only 20,000 gallons of sewage and 200 fish dead so far. We'd give you more information, but there isn't any. Maybe the Trinity River Vision leaders can answer your questions.

Priorities Pattern

While 12,000 gallons per hour of waste spill into the Trinity River, the Tarrant Regional Water Board increases its rates and prepares to go to court to take land by eminent domain for Trinity Uptown.

Read the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article here.

We've given you a couple of incentives to do so below.

For the 13th consecutive year the district’s tax rate of 2 cents per $100 valuation remained unchanged, but it will provide about $8.2 million for the general fund budget, which includes $10.4 million for the massive Trinity Uptown, the remaining portion of the $64 million it committed for the project.

The board will determine any increase in the salary of Executive Director Jim Oliver, who earns $286,000.

The board tabled using eminent domain on 0.565 of an acre at 841 N. Houston St. owned by Texas Refinery Corp. because of "a technical error," said Steve Christian, the water district’s property director.

The water district’s eminent domain powers were preserved in 2005 when Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill hailed as preventing government from seizing property to generate more revenue. But Senate Bill 7 has many loopholes, including allowing the water district to use eminent domain to acquire property along the Trinity River.

Save a River Update

By 10:00 the sewer line collapse in Fort Worth was news again.

The city had supposedly been taking bids to replace the 50 year old line. The city also says the waste water dumped into the Trinity River will not harm drinking water. We can only hope that is true.

Which is more important to YOU? Safe drinking water and adequate sewer lines or the Trinity River Vision?

Which is more important to Fort Worth?

Save a River, Save a Job

Earlier we received several phone calls telling us that a sewer line had busted and was spilling gallons of sewage into the Trinity River in East Fort Worth. We then watched the 6:00 news to learn more info. Well, at 6:00 on the same channel, there was NO info.

The news did discuss the 183 job cuts in Fort Worth. Along with the same questions about HOW you can continue to give money to frivolous projects when over fifty people will receive their pink slip in the morning.

Kathleen Hicks is the only council member that voted against the budget. Did getting ousted as Mayor Pro Tem cause an awakening?