HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0008) IR 21-10681 - Response Times Associated with Water Main BreaksINFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 21-10681
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council September 28, 2021
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- SUBJECT: RESPONSE TIMES ASSOCIATED WITH WATER MAIN BREAKS
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This report responds to a City Council inquiry regarding the water utility's response to a main break that
occurred on Trail Lake on September 7, 2021, as well as information related to the water utility's call
center performance, main break response, and customer assistance and communications.
For the majority of main breaks, the water utility relies on the public to report locations of main breaks.
These reports primarily are via phone call, but since June 5, main breaks can be reported using the MyFW
app. Reporting through the app interfaces with the water utility's systems to get the work order
automatically generated for field investigation.
The utility researched the information related to Councilmember Beck's calls to report a main break on
Trail Lake Drive on Sept. 7. Records show two calls from her phone number during the 4 p.m. hour. The
first call at 4:10:38 was abandoned at 4:11:06. The call disconnected. The second call came in at 4:12:27
p.m. and was transferred to an agent at 4:13:01. The call was completed at 4:15:08.
For years, the water utility has tracked call center response times, including separate tracking of
emergency -related calls. According to the American Water Works Association's benchmarking data, the
median numbers for combined water/wastewater utility call centers are 7.5 percent call abandonment rate
and a call answer time of one minute 20 seconds.
From May through September of this year, emergency calls comprised less than one percent of all calls
received by the water utility (13,135 of 184,780). During this same time frame:
• the average emergency call abandonment rate is 4.7 percent,
the average time to answer an emergency call is 11 seconds, and
88 percent of emergency calls were answered within 60 seconds.
Water Field Operations measures its response times to main breaks through its work order system. The
following data is based on May through September of this year. On average, from the time the call is
received, it is taking:
• 54 minutes for the initial investigator to arrive on the scene,
• 2 hours and 43 minutes for the water to be shut off and
• 8 hours and 39 minutes for the water to be restored.
Several large utilities do track response time from initial call to water shutoff, with three hours normally
being the best management goal for high priority main breaks. Several factors impact how long it takes to
turn off the water, including the number of valves to close, the size of the valves, the distance between the
valves and the size of the surrounding water mains within the shutout limits.
Factors that impact the time to make a repair include the time of day, the availability of crews, the location
of the main, the pipe material and the type of break.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 21-10681
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council September 28, 2021
Page 2of2
*a SUBJECT: RESPONSE TIMES ASSOCIATED WITH WATER MAIN BREAKS
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Water Field Operations supervisors make contact with properties damaged to discuss the claims process
and provide the Risk Management forms. Immediate assistance is available for severely damaged
properties using the utility's on -call mitigation service vendors.
Five slides are attached to this informal report which provide additional information related to response
results, metrics, and process.
Should you have any questions, please contact Chris Harder, P.E., Water Director, at 817-392-5020.
David Cooke
City Manager
Attachment
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
STEPS IN REPAIRING A MAIN BREAK
CALL
Call center inputs
information, which
creates and issues
work order to Field
Operations
DISPATCH
Field Operations
Dispatch reviews work
order and assigns to an
investigator
INVESTIGATOR
• Mobilizes to location
• Establishes traffic
control
• Galls for valve crew
• Identifies pipe material
for repair crew
• Identifies valves
required for isolation
INVESTIGATOR
• Notifies affected
residential customers
using PA system and
businesses in -person
• Requests utility
locates (must allow
two hours to
complete)
■ . ■
• Repaired
• Disinfected
■ Flushed
■ Tested
■ Returned to
service
FOLLOW UP
Other affected
infrastructure
scheduled for
repair (pavement.
curbs, driveways,
private property
yards, or irrigation
systems)
Emergency Calls
May through September
100%
90%
80 %
70%
60%
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
epo
M % Answered Calls
l°70 of Abandon Calls
calls answered with 60 seconds
All Calls
Call Abandonment Rate
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020
Calls Answered in 60 Seconds
95%
90 %
85%
80 %
75%
70%
65%
FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020
Response Times
2021 averages
May through September
Aw er age ti,oe
to arriNle on sCene
Average time to report water off '
Aft"i
veraJe time
to restore Water
Factors affecting
time to shut off water
Number of valves to
close
Size of the valves
Distance between
the valves
Size of surrounding
water mains within
the shutout limits
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Trail Lake Drive Main Break:
* 31 minutes for initial 1.
responder to arrive
* Water off 2 hours after arrival
on scene(7 valves in shut -_
outs-
* 3:48 to perform the repair
after the shut out
Factors affecting time to repair a main break
Time of day Availability of
repair crews
L
Location of water
main
Type of break