EL PASO, TX – El Paso Water announced federal funding to help improve stormwater infrastructure in the border city.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said at a press conference that El Paso Water, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will receive $1 million to fund the design of a stormwater pond on the east end of El Paso.
Community Project Funding will allow members of Congress to earmark funds for projects in their constituency through an application process, while EPWater will be one of fourteen organizations and entities to receive budget.
According to the utility, significant investments have been made in stormwater improvements that have saved lives and protected private property since the creation of the Stormwater Utility in 2008.
“There are many drainage challenges and needs throughout the city, and this grant will be very helpful in our ongoing efforts to implement our Stormwater Master Plan,” said Gisela Dagnino, EPWater’s Chief Operating Officer for the Stormwater Division.
The $1 million funding will allow the USACE to design the SAC 1 sediment retention basin planned for the east end of 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 de-silting basin with a capacity of 11 billion gallons of water, strategically located to retain stormwater flows during heavy rains. The basin would also collect sediment and debris to prevent it from being washed downstream and potentially causing damage to homes, businesses and agricultural land.
The basin will also help prevent further erosion and protect downstream areas, including Interstate 10.
Last year, the USACE announced funding for two stormwater projects in El Paso totaling more than $10 million with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
The Corps of Engineers is also in the midst of a three-year study of the Central Barley Watershed in downtown El Paso that may lead to additional funding to improve stormwater infrastructure in the area.
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