El Paso Water welcomed the new year with an announcement of federal funding to help improve stormwater infrastructure. On January 20, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar held a news conference to announce El Paso Water, working through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will receive $1 million to fund the design of a stormwater pond in Far East El Paso.
The Community Project Funding allows members of Congress to direct funding to projects within their constituency through an application process. EPWater is one of fourteen organizations and entities to receive funding.
“Each and every one of these projects represents a critical component of improving our community,” said Rep. Escobar.
EPWater has made significant investments in stormwater improvements that have saved lives and protected private property since the creation of the Stormwater Utility in 2008, but there is more work to be done.
“There are a lot of challenges and drainage needs citywide, and this grant will be very helpful in our continuous efforts to implement our Stormwater Master Plan,” said Gisela Dagnino, EPWater Chief Operations Officer for the Stormwater Division.
Planned Detention Basin
The $1 million in funding will allow the USACE to design the planned SAC 1 Sediment Detention Basin in Far East El Paso near the Socorro Independent School District Student Activities Complex. The estimated cost of the project is more than $6 million.
Plans call for the construction of a desilting basin with the capacity to hold 11 billion gallons of water, strategically placed to detain stormwater flows during heavy rain events. The basin would also catch sediment and debris to keep it from getting pushed downstream and potentially causing damage to homes, businesses and agricultural land.
The basin will also help prevent further erosion and provide protection to areas downstream, including Interstate 10.
Pursuing federal funding
Partnerships with entities like the USACE are crucial in helping to keep stormwater fees affordable for customers while EPWater works to tackle a long list of stormwater projects.
“We are very grateful to Congresswoman Escobar for being instrumental in the appropriation of the funds and we look forward to partnering with the USACE once again to make this a successful project,” Dagnino said.
A long-standing collaboration with the USACE has resulted in funding for past water and wastewater projects, but more recently the focus has shifted to stormwater projects.
Last year, the USACE announced funding for two stormwater projects in El Paso totaling more than $10 million, with funds coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Corps of Engineers is also in the middle of a three-year study of the Central Cebada Watershed in Central El Paso that may lead to additional funding to improve stormwater infrastructure in the area.
“We are working with entities and organizations with a proven track record who have worked toward improving our community,” Escobar said. “Let’s give them a boost of support.”