EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Water says that nearly a million gallons of sewage spilled in a largely undeveloped area of Northeast El Paso on Monday, April 6 and the spill has now been contained.

The spill was first reported at about 6:30 a.m. Monday along the 10600 block of Railroad Drive.

Crews are working to drain the 30-inch wastewater line to assess the break and begin repairs, the utility said.

This is the second major wastewater spill affecting El Paso Water in the past two weeks. On March 24, about 670,000 of sewage spilled at the John T. Hickerson Wastewater Treatment Plant in West El Paso

El Paso Water says 670K gallons of sewage spilled at Westside plant

An estimated 950,000 gallons of wastewater spilled in this latest incident, most of which was contained in an undeveloped area not accessible to the public, El Paso Water said. Crews have begun clean-up and disinfection efforts along the shoulder of the northbound lanes of Railroad Drive, between South Angora Loop Avenue and Oates Drive.

Water and wastewater services are not impacted, the utility said. The public drinking water supply is not at risk, the utility added.

El Paso Water has reported the incident to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and will continue to work closely with the agency to assess any environmental impacts and determine appropriate remediation actions. The cause of the break is under investigation.

“Public safety is our priority, and our team took the appropriate measures to immediately clear the area of any standing wastewater,” said Gilbert Trejo, vice president of operations and technical cervices.

The utility said the following is required language from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a wastewater discharge event of this size.

“Although it was determined that the public water supply was not affected, EPWater customers or persons who purchase water from another public water supply may contact their water supply distributor to determine if the water is safe for personal use.

“Persons using private drinking water supply wells located within 1/2-mile of the spill site or within the potentially affected area should use only water that has been distilled or boiled at a rolling boil for at least one minute for all personal uses including drinking, cooking, bathing, and tooth brushing. Individuals with private water wells should have their well water tested and disinfected, if necessary, prior to discontinuing distillation or boiling.

“The public should avoid contact with wastewater or soil in the area affected by the discharge. If contact is made, it is advised to bathe and wash clothes thoroughly as soon as possible.”

For customers who have questions about the wastewater spill, contact Martin Noriega, Utility chief operations officer at (915) 621-2085.

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