Welcome to News and Views on Tap, your source for news from El Paso Water.
The Jonathan W. Rogers Water Treatment Plant spent months preparing for the arrival of river water. When the plant ceased seasonal production last October, staff turned its attention to replacing parts, updating equipment and cleaning out ponds and basins.
Water from the Rio Grande is held upstream at the Elephant Butte dam during fall and winter. As of Monday, April 3, river water once again flowed through the city. El Paso Water expects to receive 50,000 acre-feet of river water, which is up to 40 percent of the municipal water supply.
"With the arrival of river water, the maintenance of the past few months will be put to the test as we produce drinking water for the community, said Mike Parker, plant superintendent. We normally operate nine months out of the year and have three months of maintenance. In severe drought years, we’ve had as few as 100 days of production."
The maintenance work included replacing two gear boxes and changing the bottom barrel on four screw pumps, which helps water flow into the ponds.
El Paso’s time-of-day watering schedule is in effect from April 1 through Sept. 30. Residents may water their lawns and gardens before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., and only on designated days. The schedule is:
El Paso is a desert oasis with sunny days and mild temperatures. But with rainfall averaging less than 10 inches annually, conservation is essential to the economy and quality of life. So look for ways to reduce water use in and around hour home. You might be using more than you know.
For simple, water-saving techniques, visit the conservation section of epwu.org
The Public Service Board selected the Opportunity Center for the Homeless as the El Paso Water 2017 Charity of Choice. The OC provides shelter and meals for the homeless. Its newest facility – La Casa de Las Abuelitas – serves single elderly women in need.
Each year, EPWater forms a strategic alliance with a local, non-profit, community organization. Over the past eight years, employees raised more than $200,000 for selected agencies through fund-raising projects in their off hours and on weekends.
La Casa de Las Abuelitas has 16 housing units and is the Opportunity Center’s newest living center. The shelter is in great need of funding and will benefit from the proceeds of the Charity of Choice program.
"It costs us roughly $285 a night to run the facility," said John Martin, part of the organization's strategic planning and fund development team. "That's everything from keeping the lights on to having staff. There's food, toiletries, medical care, etc. Nothing is more important than another. It's about the safety and protection of these women."
You no longer need to wait on hold when you call El Paso Water. Please listen to the menus and enter the requested information. Our new automated system saves your position in the hold queue and calls you back when it is your turn, or it lets you schedule a call back at a time that fits your schedule better.
Here are some other time-saving options.
You may call the Customer Service Call Center at (915) 594-5500 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. We encourage you to avoid calling on Monday or Friday during the peak hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
El Paso Water recently completed the Gateway Retention Ponds project along I-10, between the Piedras and Copia exits. The massive 5-year project represented a $15 million investment to reduce flooding and improve public safety.
The project includes two massive ponding areas on both sides of I-10. A 60-inch diameter pipe connects the two underneath the interstate. Together the two ponds will hold nearly 50 million gallons of water, enough to fill 75 Olympic-size swimming pools.
"We were determined to finish the project before the 2017 summer monsoon season, and we succeeded," said Gilbert Trejo, Chief Technical Officer for El Paso Water.Trejo said this project will go a long way to preventing flooding on I-10.
The multi-phased project is helped by ponds upstream and dam improvements already completed by El Paso Water. If the ponds happen to overflow, Trejo said they are designed to send water toward the new Magnolia Pump Station, which pumps the water down to the Rio Grande.
El Paso Water | All Rights Reserved | Powered by CivicLive | © 2025 PowerSchool Corporation