Ernest C. Roebuck

The City of El Paso is part of a region that has 1.8 million people and is experiencing rapid population growth. The demands for water are increasing annually and are depleting available ground water supplies in the Hueco basin aquifer. Additionally, El Paso has few options for importing water. New Mexico lies immediately north and west of El Paso. Mexico is to the south. To the east El Paso purchased two ranches in West Texas for the associated ground water but would experience considerable local opposition to piping the water to El Paso. Accordingly El Paso is attempting to utilize the water resources within its geographic boundaries to the fullest extent possible.

 El Paso completed its water resource management plan (Plan) in 1991. The Plan identified water conservation, increased reclamation and reuse of treated waste water, and the acquisition of additional Rio Grande surface water as priorities for meeting El Paso’s future water needs. This presentation is directed to the water conservation and the reuse of wastewater portions of the Plan.

El Paso has developed a very successful water conservation program that is frequently cited as a model for Texas. El Paso has water use restrictions every day of the year. For example landscape watering is limited to three days per week year round. During the month of April through September there is a time restriction whereby landscape watering is permitted only between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.

 El Paso is pursuing the reuse of waste water at all of its waste water treatment plants. The best example is the Fred Hervey water reclamation plant which has been operating since 1985. The Fred Hervey has a capacity of 10 MGD. It treats waste water to drinking water standards. All reclaimed water from the Fred Hervey is either injected into the Hueco basin aquifer or is sold to an electric company for use as cooling water, to a golf course or to other customers. The majority of the water however is being recharged using a line of ten injection wells into the Hueco aquifer. The ten injection wells are located within the large cone of depression which is centered at the Airport well field, but some distance north of the center. This assures that the recharged water remains in the Hueco and is not lost.

The initial injection wells were constructed using a similar design as was used for E1 Paso’s production wells. The design was subject to corrosion resulting in the collapse of well, RW-1. Well RW-1 was replaced by RW-1A, which is among the largest PVC wells in the U.S. RW-1A was designed specifically for minimal corrosion, for example the casing and drop pipe are PVC, and the Hitachi motor and Grundfus pump are of stainless steel materials. The construction of RW 1-A included a backflow control valve, also stainless steel, to minimize problems of air entrainment.

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a component of El Paso’s future water supply. Years of pumping from the Hueco has created a large cone of depression which is ideally suited for the storage of recharged water. ASR serves the same purpose as a surface reservoir, but offers the advantages of greatly reduced evaporation and better water quality.

El Paso is planning on a possible water treatment plant in the Anthony, Texas are. During wet years, excess Rio Grande surface water would be treated and piped through the Anthony Gap to Northeast El Paso, where it would be used for aquifer recharge. The water then could be withdrawn available by wells during dry years.

The Northwest waste water treatment plant recently was expanded to a capacity of 17.7 MGD. Construction has started on the pipelines and tanks to convey reclaimed water to potentially 11 City parks, 18 schools, 2 golf courses, 34 private landscape irrigators, and industrial and commercial facilities on the Westside of El Paso. Reclaimed water deliveries should start in about one year.

The Bustamante Plant is the newest waste water treatment plant in El Paso and has a capacity of 39 MGD. E1 Paso has acquired a site of over 200 acres adjacent to this plant which it is developing into an industrial park for reclaimed water users. El Paso has received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Agency to construct the reclaimed water liner and a one million gallon storage tank. Construction should start in about one month.

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