Customers usually know exactly what they’re getting for their money when they receive a bill. Most can glance at the pump for the price of gas, look at a list of items at the grocery checkout or they know how much data is in their phone plan. But do you know what you’re getting for your monthly El Paso Water bill?
The bill that arrives from EPWater includes water, wastewater and stormwater services in the left-hand column along with the city’s environmental services for trash collection and recycling services in the right column. For a sample, click here.
EPWater wants to make sure customers know what services are delivered when paying for water, wastewater and stormwater services.
From the source to the sink, water must be collected, rigorously treated and transported so you can drink, bathe and irrigate with it.
The water system is vast. EPWater has treatment facilities, enough buried pipe to reach the tip of Maine and the workforce to ensure the system is maintained and working properly.
Delivering reliable, high quality water is important to EPWater. That’s why water from the river goes through a robust treatment process and rigorous testing before it can be delivered to customers. Salty groundwater that would be otherwise undrinkable is transformed into fresh drinking water at our desalination plant. Take a look at this video to see how clean, safe and reliable water gets delivered to your tap every day.
In addition to water services, EPWater manages El Paso’s wastewater system. The water from your sinks, showers and toilets is sent to one of our four wastewater treatment facilities. Wastewater goes through several treatment processes to make sure it meets strict environmental standards before it’s returned to the Rio Grande or used to recharge one of our aquifers. “Purple pipe” or reclaimed water is used by power plants, golf courses and parks to help conserve fresh drinking water for the future.
Take a look at this video to learn more about the wastewater system and how it’s used to benefit our community and the environment.
EPWater also manages El Paso’s stormwater system. Funds collected through this fee are used exclusively to maintain and improve the system.
Over the past decade, the utility has drastically improved public safety with its flood-control efforts. Thanks to the completion of many high-impact projects -- including the installation of pipelines and pump stations, drainage improvements, and multiple ponds -- EPWater can now capture over 100 million gallons of stormwater that could otherwise flood I-10, city streets, homes and businesses.
When you pay your bill, you’re ensuring our ability to fix, maintain and upgrade the plants and equipment that deliver water, wastewater and stormwater services to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.