EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Some Vista del Norte residents in Northeast El Paso say they lost water for hours last week, got it back and then lost it again \u2014 leaving some without enough water to handle basic needs at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to go flush the toilet, in the middle of the night and couldn’t do that. So I couldn’t brush my teeth, I couldn’t do my laundry, I couldn’t clean up after my dogs. Couldn’t cook,\u201d Vista del Norte resident John Ulshafer said.<\/p>\n
El Paso Water said there was enough water to serve the area, but the problem was moving it through a system that has not fully caught up with development. The utility said the low pressure and water loss reported in Vista del Norte and nearby Northeast neighborhoods on Aug. 30 and 31 were tied to a larger infrastructure issue.<\/p>\n
At a public service board meeting, El Paso Water Vice President Gilbert Trejo described the issue as \u201cleapfrogging,\u201d with development moving farther out before all the water infrastructure needed to fully serve those areas is in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe leapfrogging does play a role in this as the infrastructure is not in place to fully serve them as they should, although it is on its way,\u201d said Trejo, vice president of engineering, operations and technical services.<\/p>\n
Trejo said two tanks serving the area were not filling fast enough to keep up with demand. Under normal circumstances, operators could turn on more pumps, but El Paso Water said it was being careful not to put too much pressure through a 36-inch line that already failed earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Jordan Salas reports on El Paso Water explains what caused Northeast water problems (Credit: KFOX14)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In January, a major water main break on that same 36-inch line drained 15 reservoirs and affected an estimated 38,000 customer connections, El Paso Water said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’d given a directive to be careful with that line. Do not overpressurize that line. We have to be careful not to break it,\u201d Trejo said.<\/p>\n
Trejo said operators could not simply turn on more pumps to keep up with demand. While troubleshooting, crews opened a closed valve to try to boost pressure. He said that, combined with reduced pumping through the 36-inch line, caused pressure to drop. Crews then closed the valve, allowing the tanks to refill and service to return.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of scary because we’re the ones that are dealing with the inconvenience that one day you have water, and the next day without no notice, you have no water. It’s kind of a dangerous situation in some certain circumstances,\u201d Vista del Norte resident Sammy Serrano said.<\/p>\n
El Paso Water said the public service board last month approved a Northeast growth and resiliency strategy that will add new pump stations and transmission lines, with work designed and built out over the next three to five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou would think they would have a better game plan… It\u2019s kind of scary that the time frame is that long. You would think they would be better prepped,\u201d Serrano said.<\/p>\n
Trejo said El Paso Water is now deploying pressure sensors in Vista del Norte, Futureland and Mesquite Hills. <\/p>\n
He said a new app expected in the coming weeks will allow the utility to send notifications directly to customers.<\/p>\n
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