Excitement surged as Clardy Elementary School students filed quickly into the school’s auditorium for a special El Paso Water presentation. Some classrooms had prepared for the occasion by watching Willie the Waterdrop videos, so they knew what to expect.

The Certified Water Partner program was developed in 2017 to positively engage the business community, large entities and local government/non-profit institutions to raise awareness of water efficiency practices and reduce water consumption.

EPWater owns more than 70,000 acres in the Dell City area after purchasing land and water rights associated with the Bone Springs-Victorio Peak aquifer. The utility is committed to sustaining a viable agricultural community in the area and has invested in pilot programs to improve water efficiencies, President and CEO John Balliew said.

A survey by the American Water Works Association reports that 72% of 416 water utilities nationwide are facing difficulties obtaining materials and other infrastructure components.

With TecH2O’s calendar filling up fast, staff members are eager to welcome teachers on break for the summer, students looking for credit, partner agencies or anyone else willing to help with educating the public on conserving our water resources.

Water education and family fun will be the focus of El Paso Water’s upcoming collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso.

El Paso Water’s Customer Service Department is experiencing higher call volume than normal, resulting in longer wait times.

El Paso Water has announced the completion of the Sam Snead Recovery Project. The stormwater project addresses a major public safety concern in an area historically prone to flash flooding.

Knowing how to address water leaks is one of the best ways customers can save money and protect precious water supplies. Armed with some basic knowledge and just a few tools, most people can successfully repair leaks in their homes without needing to call a plumber.

El Paso Girl Scouts are quenching their thirst for knowledge about water conservation, and earning a patch from the TecH2O Learning Center in the process.

The Village of Vinton recently celebrated the commencement of a major project to bring first- time water and wastewater service to their community.

Under January’s approved stormwater budget, EPWater announced it would accelerate planned projects and implement the full master plan within 10 years.

El Paso’s Engineer of the Year Gilbert Trejo of El Paso Water has been learning about the water sector since he was 18 and cleaning canals in El Paso’s Lower Valley.

EPWater is implementing a multipronged river clean-up strategy with several partners to make sure that the Rio Grande and canals are ready for the new irrigation season.

The next-generation customer information system (CIS) upgrade will offer customers multiple self-service options – in English and Spanish – to interact with the utility’s Customer Service Department, aside from the traditional phone line.

The combined $877 million FY2022-23 budget will result in an increase of $6.37 a month on the typical residential bill beginning March 1, the start of the fiscal year.

With 14,000 units already installed through a three-year pilot project, EPWater’s full meter replacement program is due to get underway in March 2022.

EPWater is taking proactive efforts with its newest project to minimize the corrosion of pipes and keep tap water safe to drink.

The rain events of July and August 2021 proved to be some of the most significant rain events in the history of our region. While many of El Paso’s stormwater structures held up during the heavy rainfall, the localized severity of the storms – particularly in Central El Paso -- overwhelmed and damaged many parts of the system.

El Paso Water maintains more than 2,300 miles of wastewater pipes citywide that carry used water from toilets, showers and sinks to treatment plants. When a major part of that system ruptured in West El Paso, the utility faced some critical decisions to protect public safety and health.

On a hot and humid day in early September, El Paso Water staff led representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) on a tour of several ponds and dams in Central El Paso.

This year’s monsoon season has brought intense rain events that have set records and drawn comparisons to the storm of 2006, and the season is not over yet. On August 12, part of Central El Paso received 3.2 inches of rain in one hour, equating to what the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) classifies as a 230-year storm. The same area in 2006 received 1.5 inches of rain in one hour, falling into the category of a 100-year storm.

Recent storms have tested parts of El Paso’s stormwater system, revealing both improvements still needed and the effectiveness of completed projects, like the Silver Springs Arroyo Dam, that worked to reduce flooding and increase public safety.

As part of National Water Quality Month, EPWater reminds customers that our tap water is safe to drink. To access the highest quality water, it’s as easy as turning on your faucet.

As the city expands, El Paso Water continues to invest in infrastructure to keep up with demand. The utility is taking on a major project that will optimize the existing plant by improving the wastewater treatment process and increase the plant’s capacity, extending its lifespan by 30 years.

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.

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).