An array of flora and fauna welcome up to 5,000 visitors annually to the TecH2O Learning Center’s wildlife habitat, where desert cottontail, bobcats and rattlesnakes roam freely. Oh, my!

For decades, El Paso Water has been using Granular Activated Carbon to remove substances that generate color and smell in untreated river water. But how do you measure which products do the best job? After all, smell and sight are subjective. Does the nose know best?

The new program administered by Amistad helps El Paso Water customers who are low-income seniors with emergency financial assistance and conservation support. So far, more than 100 El Paso Water customers have been helped and hundreds of water-efficient showerheads have been distributed.

In 2018, 91 children drowned in Texas – children ranging in age from 7 months to 17 years. The El Paso Fire Department, El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1, National Weather Service and Drowning Prevention Coalition of El Paso joined EPWater to spread the urgent message that intense rains can quickly turn treacherous.

EPWater developed an agreement to provide the City of El Paso with a $25,000 grant to assist them in adjusting, repairing or replacing inefficient plumbing fixtures identified in the audit.

EPWater crews work on El Paso’s stormwater system year-round. So when storm events occur, they are available to respond quickly to public requests to pump water and remove debris. The illegally-dumped trash not only slows down the process, but it also hurts the system.

Teeming with the benefits of a winter and spring’s bumper snowpack, El Paso Water is finally welcoming the Rio Grande. At long last, water released from Caballo Reservoir on May 31 is flowing into EPWater’s two river water facilities, said Water Supply Manager Ruben Rodriguez. Although EPWater is expecting half of its normal river water allocation.

Over the past three decades, El Paso Water has partnered with industrial businesses to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the wastewater system. Setting standards for what enters the system helps the utility control the treatment process and guarantees that water released to the Rio Grande will positively contribute to the natural ecosystem.

At a May 15 news conference held at the El Paso Zoo, Assistant County Attorney Cristina Viesca-Santos said her office takes environmental crimes seriously. In 2018, they prosecuted six cases regarding illegal dumping and they are on pace to double that this year with five prosecuted so far.

As the nation celebrates Infrastructure Week, the Kay Bailey Hutchison (KBH) Desalination Plant is operating with recently replaced reverse osmosis membranes, a water infrastructure investment that protects water quality. By properly running and maintaining the facility, the original membranes lasted an impressive 12 years and processed over 21 billion gallons of water.

“This is quite an honor for the zoo to be recognized as a Conservation Hero,” Wilson said. “We do our best to inspire people to adopt ways to preserve our natural resources. The zoo took the right steps by installing low-flow toilets, metered sinks and using reclaimed water for irrigation.”

Hundreds of water industry experts and researchers converged for the second annual Two Nations One Water summit April 24-25 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, prepared to foster a dialogue on solutions for water management. U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico quickly set the tone during her welcome speech for the summit. “Everyone in this room here today is here because you know the future of the West largely depends on one thing – water,” Torres Small said.

Are you excited about water? El Paso Water is hosting a 2019 Water Festival and the only question you need to ask yourself is, “What do I want to experience first?” With so many activities scheduled, EPWater's Water Festival is generating quite the buzz online and staff are expecting a record turn-out. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27 at the TecH2O Learning Center.

As the city waits to receive its shortened river supply in June, El Paso Water is closing in on a May 1 deadline to prime eight new wells for pumping fresh water into the distribution system. Visitors to a well-equipping event were privy to the behind-the-scenes action taken to prepare Well 42A, one of the eight wells included in EPWater's Drought Resolution Program.

An unusual visitor started making regular appearances at the construction site of the Thomas Manor Park Pond Improvement project a few months ago. As construction workers and engineers worked to deepen the pond and expand the stormwater infrastructure, they discovered an owl in the area.

“I think it’s very exciting for El Pasoans to know that what we’re doing here in El Paso is going to change the water industry,” Gilbert Trejo, Chief Technical Officer, said. “The water community knows and understands that these treatment processes treat the water and produce a very high-quality water."

On April 4, four El Paso Water employees will take their places as coach, setter, cranker and copper during the Texas section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Pipe Tapping Competition in Houston.

Launched in 2017, El Paso Police Department Detective Vanessa Acosta established Law N Paws to rescue four-legged victims of animal cruelty. This year, El Paso Water’s Charity of Choice Committee chose to advocate for the voiceless and raise awareness about a small nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates abused animals.

Expect El Paso Water’s Spring WaterSmart Landscape Series to get animated. In his more than 30 years of experience in forestry, Oscar Mestas – retired regional urban forester of Texas A&M Forest Service – has picked up a few tricks of the trade. Mestas’ sessions often involve student interaction, with some role-playing, performances and games.

Although Montana Vista has had water service for decades, residents have had to use septic tanks or resort to inadequate drainage systems. Through the efforts of Montana Vista residents like Martina Silva, along with the advocacy of local and state elected officials, El Paso Water has received funding assistance and will enable the utility to proceed with phase one of a wastewater project.

EPWater gets new high-tech training thanks to a simulator that can safely train operators. Hundreds of employees will soon receive this state-of-the-art training.