Old pipes cause Texas cities to lose tens of billions of gallons of water each year

Water spews out of a fire hydrant as a San Antonio Water System crew works to fix a water main break near Hunt Lane and Adams Hill in San Antonio, TX on August 18, 2022. (Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune)

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Texas’ most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply, according to self-reported water loss audits.