Houston will now use artificial intelligence to detect leaks and other issues with its pipes.

What happened: Houston City Council passed a purchase order without discussion April 22 for $2.2 million to use services offered by FiberSense US, a technology company specializing in distributed fiber optic sensors.

For three years, the service will use machine learning and AI for intrusion, pipe bursts and leak detection through sensor technology.

How it works: FiberSense US will provide comprehensive monitoring and protection to help the city “proactively manage critical infrastructure.”

FiberSense delivers this service by capturing raw acoustic signals generated by real-world physical events, such as vehicle movements, construction activity, ground disturbances, leaks or impacts, using its sensing technology, according to the agreement.

Continuous monitoring helps identify leaks, bursts, unusual flow conditions, excavation activity and mobility-related disturbances earlier and with greater accuracy.

Beginning April 26, Houston residents will be able to attend a new farmers' market that will spotlight the city's most unique small businesses in River Oaks.

The details: Officials with the River Oaks District announced in a news release April 20 the launch of The Market at River Oaks District.

The new farmer's market will be a family- and dog- friendly experience that is open to the public rain or shine. It will be located in The Park, next to Bari, and throughout District Lane, between Little Hen and LoveShackFancy.

The event will occur every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month through October 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Something to note: Featured vendors will include Cake & Bacon, Hive Bee Farm, Metamorphosis Jewelry, Momma's Tamales and Zozo Fresh.

• 4444 Westheimer Road, Houston

From major freeway overhauls to smaller neighborhood fixes, road work across Houston is taking place. Here's a look at three key projects currently underway.

White Oak Elevation Project: The Texas Department of Transportation project includes raising the elevation of the I-10 main lanes above the floodplain of White Oak Bayou, including creating a 10-foot-wide shared-use path on the north side of I-10 along White Oak Bayou.

Shepherd-Durham Drive Reconstruction: The reconstruction project includes making improvements to the roughly 5-mile stretch of road, including adding bike lanes, 6-foot sidewalks, installing left-turn lanes and general upgrades.

Montrose Boulevard Improvements Project: The project includes fully reconstructing Montrose Boulevard from Allen Parkway to West Clay Street into a four-lane concrete roadway with a median, sidewalks, trees, signals and a pedestrian bridge.

René Galvan was appointed the new CEO and president of the Houston Association of Realtors in February, as previously reported. Galvan succeeded Bob Hale, who retired Jan. 31. In an interview with Community Impact, Galvan discussed his background, what HAR does and the real estate market in the Greater Houston area. 

More details: Some of the questions asked by Community Impact include: 

• Broadly speaking, what does the Houston Association of Realtors do, and how do Realtors and buyers interact with HAR?
• When it comes to the housing market in the Greater Houston area, what trends are you seeing?
• What factors, economic or otherwise, do you see affecting the Houston housing market?

Demand on the Texas power grid could more than quadruple in the next six years, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced April 15.

The details: The state grid operator projected that peak electric demand could hit 367,790 megawatts by 2032—more than four times the current demand record of 85,508 megawatts, which was set during an August 2023 heat wave. Much of this forecasted growth is due to data centers, according to ERCOT documents.

However, ERCOT leaders warned that the growth forecast is “preliminary” and needs adjustments.

What's happening: During an April 17 meeting, ERCOT officials told the Public Utility Commission of Texas that they plan to work with utility providers to issue a revised forecast in the coming weeks.

“I think it's clear we need to engage in the process and look at ways to refine this number to something that's more usable,” PUC Chair Thomas Gleeson said.

Stay tuned: ERCOT said it expects peak electric demand on the grid this summer will hit between 90,500-98,000 megawatts, which would shatter the current demand record.