EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 The El Paso County Downtown jail has been experiencing water issues since Tuesday. <\/p>\n
According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, a water main break in Downtown El Paso triggered issues at the jail.<\/p>\n
Even though the water main break was repaired, as of Wednesday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office said the jail still has water pressure issues, adding that maintenance crews are working to restore the service “as quickly as possible.”<\/p>\n
KFOX14\/CBS4 has received calls from people saying that inmates have been without drinking water and not allowed to use the restroom since Tuesday.<\/p>\n
One caller inside the jail, who wished to remain anonymous, detailed the water issues, stating that inmates were given a “styrofoam cup” and a “little pail of water” for the toilet. <\/p>\n
“We told them that the toilets are not flushing. And they brought us a little pail of water to throw in the toilet so that we could flush them. There’s a pregnant girl here. And all that is bad for her baby. She hasn’t even been able to eat because it’s gross. It smells gross in here. They just gave us right now a styrofoam cup with water and one bottle of water. And that’s all we’ve got,” the caller said. <\/p>\n
However, the Sheriff’s Office has called those reports “inaccurate,” saying that inmates have been using the restroom with jail staff delivering water to flush the toilets.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Office said portable restrooms have been brought for staff and that El Paso Water delivered pallets of water bottles for inmates. <\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: Water main break interrupts service in Santa Teresa<\/a><\/p>\n Below is the Sheriff’s Office’s full statement: <\/p>\n Since yesterday, the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility has been experiencing water service issues after a City of El Paso water main break in the area. While the water main has since been repaired, the facility is currently dealing with a pressure regulator issue. Our Maintenance Division is actively working to restore normal water service as quickly as possible.We want to clarify that reports claiming inmates are not being allowed to use the restroom or do not have access to drinking water are inaccurate. Inmates have continued to use the restroom, and staff have been delivering water to housing areas to flush toilets as needed.To ensure the needs of everyone in the facility are met, portable restrooms have been brought in for staff, El Paso Water has delivered pallets of bottled water for inmates, and we are working with our partners, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, to secure additional resources to bring in water while repairs are underway.The safety and well-being of those in our custody and our staff remain our top priority, and we appreciate the assistance from our partner agencies as we work to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n Additionally, the sheriff’s office said they do not an estimated timeline for when full water service will be restored, but are working to resolve the issues. <\/p>\n “At this time, we do not have an estimated timeline for when full water service will be restored. El Paso Water and our Sheriff\u2019s Office maintenance personnel continue working diligently to resolve the issue and restore normal service as quickly as possible. The portable restrooms referenced in our previous statement are for staff use only. Due to safety and security concerns, inmates cannot be routinely escorted to the basement where those facilities are located,” a sheriff spokesperson said. <\/p>\n Adding, “Inmate housing areas have been supplied with buckets of water to allow toilets to be flushed while water service is disrupted. Additionally, bottled drinking water is available and is being provided to inmates. Supervisory staff are conducting regular checks of each housing area to ensure inmates have access to drinking water and the resources needed to maintain sanitation.”<\/p>\n KFOX14\/CBS4 has reached out EPWater to learn more about the main break.<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: Water main break closes westbound Montana Avenue in far East El Paso<\/a><\/p>\n