Water Shutoff and Flood Zones in Katy, TX: Who to Call
Katy sits across Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties, so who you call for a water shutoff or flood question depends on your exact address.
Who to Call First in KatyWho to Call First When Water Is Coming In
Call 911 only if there is immediate danger — electrical hazard, a trapped person, or floodwater rising fast enough to threaten the house. For every other water emergency in Katy, the order is: shut off the water at the source, call the right utility line for your address, contact your insurer, then reach a restoration provider.
- 911 — only for immediate danger, such as electrical hazard, structural collapse, or fast-rising water.
- Your home's shut-off valve — stop the source before you do anything else.
- The City of Katy main number, the Katy Police Department after hours, or your MUD operator if you live outside city limits — report the emergency for your address.
- Your homeowner's insurance company — open a claim once the water is stopped and it is safe to document the damage.
- A local water damage restoration provider — call when it is safe to arrange cleanup.
This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice — check your own policy and local ordinance for specifics. If you rent, tell your landlord about the water in writing; your renters policy covers your belongings, not the building.
| Situation | Who to Call | Contact | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danger to life or property right now | Emergency services | 911 | September 2026 |
| City of Katy water customer, business hours | City of Katy main number | 281-391-4800 | September 2026 |
| City of Katy water customer, after hours, weekends, or holidays | Katy Police Department, contacts Public Works | 281-391-4848 | September 2026 |
| Not sure if you're on city water or a MUD | City of Katy Find My MUD District page or the TCEQ viewer | see links in this section | September 2026 |
| Insurer is slow or unresponsive | Texas Department of Insurance consumer help line | 800-252-3439 | September 2026 |
How to Shut Off Your Water and Report It After Hours
Use your home's main shut-off valve if you can reach it safely. Do not force a valve you cannot operate — seek qualified help instead. If a burst pipe has already soaked a wall or floor, the Katy burst pipe response guide covers what to do next while you wait for a provider.
- Use your home's main shut-off valve if you can reach it safely; do not force a valve you cannot operate.
- If you cannot shut off the water yourself, call the City of Katy main number, 281-391-4800, during business hours.
- After hours, on weekends, or on holidays, call the Katy Police Department at 281-391-4848, which contacts Public Works for you.
City of Katy, in its own words: "The City of Katy Public Works Department provides 24-hour emergency services. To report emergencies after normal business hours, weekends or holidays please call the Police Department at 281-391-4848 and the appropriate Public Works personnel will be contacted." — City of Katy Wastewater Department
If a Municipal Utility District (MUD) serves your address instead of the City, contact the MUD listed for your address — the next section shows how to find it fast.
If You're on a MUD, Not City Water
Some parts of the Katy area are not served by the City of Katy at all — they get water from a Municipal Utility District (MUD), and each MUD has its own emergency number and its own bill. Two official tools tell you which district serves your address before you call the wrong office.
- Check your monthly water bill or your property tax statement — the district name is usually printed there.
- Search the City of Katy's Find My MUD District page by address.
- Or look up your address on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Water Districts Map Viewer.
Keep your MUD's own phone number somewhere you can find it fast — if a district serves your address, its operator is who to call, not the City.
Which County You're In: Harris, Fort Bend, or Waller
Katy sits across three counties — Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller. Inside Katy city limits, one office handles both your building permit and your floodplain question; outside the city, the county office for your address takes over instead.
- Inside Katy city limits: the City of Katy Permit & Building Services Division issues building permits and answers floodplain questions.
- Outside the city in Harris County: Harris County Permits, 713-274-3900.
- Outside the city in Fort Bend County: the Fort Bend County Engineering Department's permits office.
- In the Waller County part of Katy: confirm the permitting office for your address before starting repairs.
Permit triggers can vary by jurisdiction: replacing wall framing, rewiring, or repiping after a flood commonly needs a permit, while a small cosmetic drywall repair that does not touch the framing may not. Confirm with your permitting office before you start work.
For the full picture of what happens after the water stops, see the Katy water damage help homepage.
Katy's Flood History and How to Check Your Flood Zone
Katy has flooded more than once in the last decade — from named storms and from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs upstream, which sometimes push water into neighborhoods far from any creek. None of that history tells you whether your specific street sits in a mapped flood zone; only an address-level map does that.
The Tax Day Flood in April 2016 and Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 both put water into Katy-area homes. Both events tie back to the Addicks and Barker reservoirs upstream and to drainage along Buffalo Bayou, which the reservoirs feed during heavy rain.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — enter your address at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to see the official flood zone for your property.
- Harris County Flood Education Mapping Tool — for the Harris County part of Katy, the Harris County Flood Education Mapping Tool adds local drainage and past flood detail.
- KTALERT — the City of Katy's emergency text and email alert system; register through the City's Office of Emergency Management, 281-574-8633.
Standing water also raises the risk of mold — the Katy guide to spotting mold after water damage covers what to watch for once the flooding itself is under control.
If your home has flooded more than once, ask about buyout options before rebuilding the same way twice. The Harris County Flood Control District runs a Home Buyout Program that covers the Harris County side of Katy.
If That Did Not Work
If nobody answers on the first call, keep going — city offices, MUD operators, and providers can be hard to reach during a storm. Try again, try a different number, and know who else can help if the first two calls fail.
- Try again — call back if the line was busy; the number does not change.
- Try another route — if your MUD operator does not pick up, check the emergency number printed on your latest water bill; it can differ from the district's daytime office line.
- If calls keep failing, shut off what water you can reach, photograph the damage for your insurer, and try the utility again or use the other contact listed above.
For the bigger picture beyond this page, the complete Katy water damage overview covers every stage from the first call to the final walkthrough.
What Changed on This Page
- September 2026: page published; phone numbers and legal deadlines checked against the official sources linked above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I shut off my water if a pipe bursts in my Katy home?
Who do I call after hours if water is flooding into my house?
Do I need a permit to fix water-damaged drywall in Katy?
How do I find out if I'm on city water or a MUD?
Which county handles floodplain questions for my Katy address?
How do I check if my street is in a flood zone?
Water in your home right now?
See who to call first in Katy, how to reach your water provider, and how to check your flood zone.
Who to Call First in Katy