Plumbing in Katy, TX

City reports name Gulf Coast Aquifer wells as the source, while master-planned neighbors nearby buy surface water through MUDs. That split decides which problems you get and who you call first.

Katy housing by era: the MKT town core to the 2010s build-out

Katy's housing tells two stories, and each one fails in its own way. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts about 29% of units in the 2010s and another 11% after 2020, which is why tank age is the local issue.

• 2010 and later: Tank heaters here last 8 to 12 years, Houston plumbers report, against 10 to 15 nationally. Tanks from the first years of the boom are at or past that mark now.
• Before 1990: About 30% of units are this old. Drains and supply lines at that age deserve a look before a remodel.

Between them sit about 29% of units from 1990 to 2009, now in their middle years.

Clay ties both groups together. The ground here has been described as thick clay since settlement days, and it swells and shrinks under every slab. A University of Houston study also found the Katy area sinking about 2 centimeters a year, roughly 4 inches from 2016 to 2021. That movement is broad and slow, so it will not explain one leak by itself, but it is part of why drain slopes deserve a second look.

The code adds one more layer. Inside city limits, a tank replacement is permit work, and the city reports adopting the 2021 International Residential and Plumbing Codes. A swap in an older garage can change venting or clearances, so ask before you buy.

Plumbing in Katy, TX: what this housing calls for

These are the jobs that fit Katy's age mix, its water and its soil.

City wells, MUDs and the North Fort Bend Water Authority

Your supplier depends on where your bill comes from, so start there:

• City of Katy customers: City reports describe groundwater from the Gulf Coast Aquifer. Scale on aerators and showerheads is the sign to watch, and a test should come before any equipment.
• MUD customers in Greater Katy: Districts around Cinco Ranch buy surface water through the North Fort Bend Water Authority, and pass those fees through on the bill.
• West Harris County: The regional authority began pumping treated Lake Houston water from its Fry Road station in June 2026.

A water softener sized on an old test may not suit a new blend, so retest after any supply change.

Booking a visit from Houston out I-10

Scheduling happens by phone, during business hours. Tell us what you see, what the meter is doing and how old the heater is, and we will talk through timing for the run out I-10. The first step on site is a look at the job. What failed gets explained in plain terms, and the clear, upfront quote follows, ahead of any work.

Avenue D, Cane Island and other Katy notes

Water is the local memory here. The April 2016 storm damaged 107 homes and 25 businesses, according to city officials, with flooding along Pecan Lane, Pine Lakes Drive, Avenue D and Highway 90. Harvey followed in 2017, flooding more than 32,000 acres across the Katy area. If your lot took water, a sewer camera inspection is a reasonable check on the line.

The city's anchors run along I-10 and US-90, from Katy Mills to the old MKT town square and Katy Asian Town, with Kingsland Boulevard, Katy Fort Bend Road and the Grand Parkway feeding the neighborhoods between. The city has also commissioned a flood protection study of the roughly 24.7-mile Cane Island Branch watershed.

Katy mailing addresses cover ZIPs 77449, 77450 and 77491 through 77494, and many reach well outside city limits. The permit desk at 901 Avenue C serves only the city.