El Paso Water has presented a $10,000 check to the University of Texas at El Paso and announced a new student research program established in honor of former utility President and CEO Ed Archuleta, who served for 24 years in that role and is recognized nationally for bold initiatives to build a sustainable water supply for El Paso.

The Will Ruth Pond is a vast stormwater project designed to collect over 114 million gallons of stormwater from nearby streets to prevent it from flowing into downstream neighborhoods. The project is a critical component of the EPWater stormwater plan to improve public safety, and it has not been without its share of challenges.

Continued drought has impacted the water supply El Paso receives from the Rio Grande. The city’s growth is also a factor in EPWater’s long-term water management planning to ensure the community has water for the future.

The planning process never stops for El Paso Water to secure a reliable water supply for future generations. The utility plays a leadership role in shaping the Far West Texas Water Plan, a 50-year regional water resources management plan that must be updated every five years, as required by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).

A year of challenges was also a year of accomplishments for El Paso Water, as we successfully adapted our business practices to continue to provide reliable water, wastewater and stormwater services to customers.

Excavation work is done on the Upson Drive Water Main and Sanitary Sewer Improvements project in the Sunset Heights neighborhood.

Dell City in Hudspeth County is seeing unwelcome visitors who may assume they are on public lands but are trespassing and hunting illegally, with devastating wildlife consequences.

The Sunset Heights Pump Station and Reservoir is made up of two tanks with the capability of holding up to eight million gallons of water.

Seeking to minimize the need for large fee increases in the near future, the Public Service Board is considering a proposal that would add a $0.26 increase in stormwater fee to the residential customer’s monthly bill.

A 2% increase in both water and wastewater rates will help rehabilitate El Paso Water’s aging infrastructure and expand systems for city growth. President and CEO John Balliew and staff members presented the utility’s proposed Fiscal Year 2021-22 Water/Wastewater and Stormwater budgets to the Public Service Board on Nov. 30.

It has been nearly a year since El Paso Water marked the start of the Montana Vista Wastewater Project, a project bringing first-time wastewater service to the Far East El Paso community. So far, EPWater has completed service line installations for more than half of customers in the project’s first phase, about 429 customers. In addition to the completed wastewater lines, about 440 residences have partially completed lines.

The San Lorenzo Stormwater and Wastewater Improvement Project will remove an old and deteriorating stormwater pipe along San Lorenzo Drive and replace it with a newer, more durable pipe. A wastewater line that conflicts with the alignment of the stormwater system will also be replaced.

The next river water allocation from the Rio Grande is months away, but it is crunch time for El Paso Water to ensure the utility is prepared for an anticipated shorter river water season. In September, the Public Service Board approved the drilling of six additional wells to increase our groundwater supply as a proactive measure to meet water demands at the hottest time of the year.

According to property repair experts, a broken ½ inch water pipe could spill as much as 50 gallons per minute depending on the size of the break. EPWater urges customers to protect their pipes in cooler weather.

Water is not typically synonymous with the desert, but for El Paso Water, the two go hand in hand. The utility’s leadership is helping pave the way for EPWater to remain at the forefront of water reuse.

El Paso Water wants to help you conserve water and at the same time save money. More time indoors means do-it-yourself home improvement projects are on the rise.

El Paso Water’s Willie the Water Drop is coming to a small screen near you, urging preschoolers to use water wisely at home. The short videos will feature Willie engaging with April Lopez, Water Conservation Specialist, immersing young viewers in conservation lessons, with plenty of positive reinforcement thrown in for good measure.

The Upson Drive Main Improvement Project will remove and replace the existing water and wastewater mains and service lines within the Sunset Heights Historic District. But the nature of the ground in this area presented engineers with a major obstacle.

El Paso Water launched the design of a new project to take treated Rio Grande water during plentiful years and use it to recharge a local aquifer.

Technology employed at El Paso Water’s Frontera Lift Station continues to draw the international spotlight – this time from the recent 2020 Water Environment Federation (WEF) Collections System Digital Conference.

As state and local leaders take steps to ease COVID-19 restrictions, Dr. Kristina Mena is helping to shape health guidance needed to reopen Texas and El Paso.

Before flushing wipes, face coverings or latex gloves, El Paso Water urges residents to consider the consequences. With more residents wearing personal protective equipment during the pandemic, EPWater employees are facing a spike in blockages that is seriously straining the city’s wastewater system.