Residents often wonder where their drinking water comes from. The water that we use in North Richland Hills comes from several area reservoirs and lakes. Here is how it gets to us:

The Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) draws and pumps raw water from the following lakes:

• Lake Bridgeport
• Cedar Creek Reservoir
• Eagle Mountain Lake
• Richland-Chambers Reservoir
• Lake Arlington
• Lake Worth 
• Lake Benbrook

The water is delivered through a lengthy series of water pipelines to the City of Fort Worth and Trinity River Authority (TRA) water treatment plants where it undergoes a number of processes that make it “potable,” meaning that it is fit to drink. After treatment, the water meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water requirements.

The City of North Richland Hills purchases potable water from the City of Fort Worth and TRA as a wholesale customer and the water is pumped through a network of water transmission mains to our community and ultimately your home. Wastewater from our community is pumped back to the City of Fort Worth and TRA through a series of pipes for treatment at their sewer plants.  

North Richland Hills’ water system infrastructure consists of: 

• approximately 368 miles of water mains;
• 5 booster pump stations (3 of which are located at wholesale supply points of entry) that pump treated water throughout the distribution system;
• 4 elevated storage tanks and 4 ground storage tanks with a combined capacity of 16.5 million gallons;
• 5 potable water wells and seven irrigation wells;
•  2,170 fire hydrants.

The city’s wastewater collection system is comprised of:

• approximately 252 miles of sanitary sewer mains;
• 5,200 manholes;
• 2 lift stations.  

Water Costs

North Richland Hills water customers only pay about 1 penny per gallon for water and sewer service, but over the course of a month that quickly adds up. While they are several years old, these videos from the Alliance for Water Efficiency can help you understand what you pay for and why it is important to conserve water. 

In addition to water and sewer charges, your NRH water bill includes a monthly garbage collection fee and drainage utility fee. 

Water Fun Facts

Water & You

• Your body is 2/3 water. Your brain is 3/4 water.
• You could survive about a month without food, but you could only survive 5 or 6 days without water.
• To stay healthy, you need 2 to 3 quarts of water each day.
• The average person takes in about 16,000 gallons of water in his or her lifetime.
• Families turn on the faucet an average of 70 times in one day.
• Every person in America uses about 160 gallons of water a day. During medieval times a person used only 5 gallons per day.
• 2/3 of the water your family uses is used in the bathroom. About 2 gallons of water are used when you brush your teeth. Flushing a toilet requires 2 to 7 gallons of water, and a 10 minute shower can use 25-50 gallons of water.
• About 48,000 gallons of water are used to produce the typical American Thanksgiving dinner for eight people.

Water & Planet Earth

• The most common substance found on Earth is water. Water is the only substance found naturally in three forms: solid, liquid and gas.
• Less than 1% of all the water on Earth is available or clean enough to drink. The rest is salty or frozen.
• Once evaporated, a water molecule spends ten days in the air.
• Water serves as nature’s thermometer, helping regulate the Earth’s temperature.
• Water makes up 80% of an earthworm, 70% of a chicken and 70% of an elephant. Water also makes up 90% of a tomato, 80% of pineapples and corn and 70% of a tree.
• The amount of water is constant and recycled throughout time.
• A water molecule stays in the ocean for 98 years, in ice for 20 months and in lakes and rivers for 2 weeks.