EP Water implements cleanup of the Rio Grande

EL PASO – EPWater implemented a cleanup strategy for the Rio Grande River in coordination with several partners to ensure that the flow and canals are ready for the upcoming irrigation season. According to the utility company, water is expected to reach El Paso in June, following the late May release from Elephant Butte Dam and Reservoir.

The company noted that it has been cleaning up the riverbed and other areas affected by the sewage emergency for several weeks.

“We want to see the riverbed as it was before we made the difficult decision to discharge raw sewage, and we are already seeing the difference,” said Gilbert Trejo, Interim Chief Operating Officer.

EPWater’s discharge of wastewater into the Rio Grande River was halted in January following the replacement of damaged force mains, so millions of gallons of wastewater are flowing back into the John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility, which treats and reclaims some of the liquids for irrigation of parks and fields, while other water is returned to the flow.

In mid-August, the Frontera pipelines, which collect an average of 10 million gallons per day of wastewater from customers in west El Paso, suffered multiple breaks in a concentrated area near Sunland Park Drive and Doniphan Drive.

The International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC) authorized EPWater crews to remove sediment from the riverbed, focusing particularly on the affected areas, where a buildup of solids was observed.

El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 is cleaning out cement-lined channels where wastewater was diverted to other EPWater wastewater plants to minimize the impact on the river.

In addition, a local environmental company cleaned the stormwater ponds that were used to temporarily retain wastewater in the early stages of the wastewater emergency.

The utility company also contracted an environmental engineering firm to conduct an assessment by sampling water quality and examining the vegetation, aquatic life, and birds in the area, as well as providing advice on remediation strategies.

Source: MEXICONNOW Staff