EL PASO – El Paso Water has restored water service today to Northeast and Central customers affected by a major water outage that began Jan. 11. Crews completed repairs to the damaged pipe segment and began repressurizing the system. All 15 water storage tanks are now filled and operating at healthy levels. However, a Boil Water Notice remains in effect for the original identified area.

Extensive water sampling has been conducted, and EPWater and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will review the results and confirm water quality before the notice is lifted. EPWater will immediately notify the media and the public once the notice is lifted. Customers may notice a chlorine smell in their water, as EPWater boosted levels for disinfection.

“We must fully disinfect the system before we can lift the Boil Water Notice,” said Gilbert Trejo, Vice President of Operations and Technical Services. “Our work is not done. Engineering assessments will continue the removed broken pipeline segment and the full pipeline.”

Over the past weekend, a broken large water main caused 15 water reservoirs to drain, impacting about 38,000 customer connections — more than 100,000 residents. The failure exposed vulnerabilities in a 1950s-era system design, in which the main Northeast transmission line was connected to numerous smaller distribution lines.

“This outdated design practice is no longer used, and it limited our ability to isolate the break and prevent the entire system from draining,” Trejo said.

To reduce the risk of future incidents, crews are installing additional valves throughout the Northeast system, Trejo said.

Water Distribution Schedule Update

EPWater has announced a new closing time of 10 p.m. for water distribution sites. Opening times will remain at 5 a.m. Customers should bring their own containers. Distribution locations include:

• North Skies Park, 7073 Copper Town Drive
• Sue Young Park, 9730 Diana Drive
• Arlington Park, 10350 Pasadena Circle
• Sunrise Park, 3800 Sunrise Ave.
• Chisolm Park (across from Clendenin Elementary School), 2700 Harrison Ave.
• Grandview Park, 3100 Jefferson Ave.

EPWater thanks its community partners who continue to volunteer at distribution sites and help ensure water availability to meet demand.

Boil water notice in effect

Although water service has been restored, the Boil Water Notice remains in place until required sampling results confirm the water is safe to drink. Until the notice is lifted, please do not drink tap water, cook, brush teeth, make ice or give it to pets until it has been confirmed that it is safe to consume.

Tap water is safe for handwashing, dishwashing, bathing and doing laundry.

Restaurants in the affected area are asked to turn off fountain drink systems and ice machines connected to tap water. Discard existing ice and wait for the advisory to be lifted.

Beware of deceptive notices

EPWater has received reports of suspicious notices being left at customers’ homes, questioning the water safety. Please be aware that most home filtration systems do not remove bacteria or viruses.

For updated information, please visit epwater.org and our social media platforms.