Fort Worth could see impacts to roads, water pipes from potential severe winter weather

The severe winter weather in this week’s forecast could bring multiple impacts to the Fort Worth area, including water main breaks and increased risk for drivers.

As the city prepares for what could be an intense winter storm, the city of Fort Worth says they started pre-treating city streets with salt and sand on Monday.

“And then Wednesday we will start our 24-hour schedule, which will be 12-hour shifts that we will do,” said Teanna Thompson with the city of Fort Worth.

City officials said they would have a fleet of 30 brine trucks operating around the clock should severe weather necessitate it.

The city said it would not be responsible for maintaining highways or interstates like I-35W, the site of one of the biggest winter weather disasters in the area in recent years.

On Feb. 11, 2021, a pile-up in the toll lanes of I-35W caused more than 130 vehicles to crash, leaving six people dead.

A report from the NTSB two years later found that 45 minutes before the crash, crews working with North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners, “didn’t recognize that the elevated portion of the interstate where the crash occurred needed additional de-icing treatment.”

Following the report’s release in 2023, NTEMP “strongly disagreed” with the findings, the organization told NBC 5 at the time.

NBC 5 asked what steps NTEMP would be taking to protect drivers in the toll lanes during this week’s forecasted winter storm.

“Our road maintenance crews began pre-treating the LBJ Express, North Tarrant Express, and NTE 35W highway corridors this past weekend,” a spokesperson for NTEMP said in a statement. “We will have technicians patrolling and will continue monitoring the changing conditions in order to determine the appropriate treatment as the storm approaches and moves through North Texas.”

“These efforts follow on the heels of our work with TxDOT in September and October, including updating the statewide Snow & Ice Management Plan and enhancing processes already in place,” the statement continued.

As crews took to the roads, Fort Worth’s water system was also on notice.

“When water temperature drops like that is when we see an increase in main breaks,” said Mary Gugliuzza, spokesperson for the city of Fort Worth’s water department.

The city said Fort Worth’s dated system of cast-iron water pipes was prone to breaking, with city crews seeing more than 25 water main breaks during the freeze of the week of January 14, 2024.

Fort Worth officials said the city was in the process of replacing more than 700 miles of that cast-iron pipe, but the project could take decades to complete.

For now, they’ve been warning homeowners to protect their home water systems.

“What they need to be doing now is make sure their pipes are wrapped, disconnect those hoses from those outside faucet bibs,” said Gugliuzza. “Cover it with insulation.”

Officials said families should also keep bottled water on hand in case they’re affected by a break nearby, and to use the My Fort Worth app to report any city pipes that burst.

A map of ongoing water main breaks in Fort Worth can be found here.

ERCOT'S WINTER POWER CONSERVATION TIPS

• Lower your thermostat by a degree or two if safe to do so.
• Avoid using large appliances like ovens, washing machines, and dryers. Turn off and unplug non-essential lights.
• Set pool pumps to run early morning or overnight; shut off during peak hours. Or, set the pump to the lowest speed to prevent freezing.
• Cover windows with insulated curtains.
• Set ceiling fans on reverse to recirculate the heat that builds up near the ceilings.
• If the sun is shining, open blinds, drapes, or shades during the day to warm your home.
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater. For every 10 degrees of reduction, you can save 3-5% in energy costs. A temperature of 120°F is suggested unless your dishwasher does not have a water heater, in which case 130°F - 140°F is suggested for optimal cleaning.

Find more energy-saving tips at ercot.com/txans.

ERCOT TXANS and Emergency Levels Explained

In 2023, ERCOT debuted TXANS to deliver clear and reliable information to the public about grid conditions. Here’s what the alert levels mean:

• Weather Watch: A Weather Watch is an advanced notification of an upcoming weather system that is expected to increase electricity usage. Texans are asked to pay attention to changing weather conditions that may result in a call for conservation. During a Weather Watch, grid conditions and electricity use are normal.
• Conservation Alert: This is a voluntary request to reduce electrical use, ERCOT said. While ERCOT said it is not in emergency operations, it asks the public and “all government agencies to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.”
• Energy Emergency Level 1: Conservation is considered to be critical. We reach this stage when operating reserves drop below 2,300 MW and are not expected to recover within 30 minutes.
• Emergency Level 2: Triggered when reserves are less than 1,750 MW and are not expected to recover within 30 minutes. At this point, ERCOT can reduce demand on the system by interrupting power from large industrial customers who have contractually agreed to have their electricity turned off during an emergency.
• Emergency Level 3: The final level hits when reserves drop below 1,430 MW. If operating reserves then drop below 1,000 MW and are not expected to recover within 30 minutes and/or the grid’s frequency level cannot be maintained at 60 Hz, then ERCOT will implement “controlled outages,” also known as rolling blackouts.