EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — The boil water notice in Northeast and Central El Paso has been lifted, but El Paso Water is now facing scrutiny over the vulnerabilities in its 1950s-era system design.
The recent water main break, which drained 15 reservoirs and affected over 100,000 residents, has raised questions about the city’s water infrastructure.
Gilbert Trejo, VP of operations and technical services at El Paso Water, confirmed, “Today, we are pleased to report that the boil water notice has been lifted and the water is safe to drink.” However, some customers may still experience air in the lines or a chlorine smell.
Ruben Rodriguez, chief water quality compliance officer, advised residents to “flush your household plumbing, run all cold water taps for at least five minutes, and maybe even up to 15 minutes if you still see that the water is not clear.”
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El Paso Water acknowledged that the incident exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s 1950s-era system design, where a major water line was directly connected to multiple smaller distribution lines.
Trejo said, “This was an eye-opening experience for us… this is not the way they’re designed. They haven’t been designed this way for decades.”
The break exposed vulnerabilities in the system, where a major water line was connected directly to multiple smaller distribution lines, limiting the utility’s ability to isolate the break.
“This particular water line and transmission system in the northeast, we were not aware of the way it was set up. So this was an eye-opening experience for us,” he said.
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To prevent future issues, El Paso Water is installing additional valves throughout the Northeast system.
Trejo stated, “In the event that other breaks may occur, we have already added valves to the system and will continue to add valves to the system.”
The utility is also investigating whether similar system designs exist elsewhere in the city.
“We will be looking at it all across the city. Not just in the northeast,” Trejo said. El Paso Water will continue to investigate the cause of the water main failure.
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