The Jonathan W. Rogers Water Treatment Plant spent months preparing for the arrival of river water. When the plant ceased seasonal production last October, staff turned its attention to replacing parts, updating equipment and cleaning out ponds and basins.
Water from the Rio Grande is held upstream at the Elephant Butte dam during fall and winter. As of Monday, April 3, river water once again flowed through the city. El Paso Water expects to receive 50,000 acre-feet of river water, which is up to 40 percent of the municipal water supply.
"With the arrival of river water, the maintenance of the past few months will be put to the test as we produce drinking water for the community, said Mike Parker, plant superintendent. We normally operate nine months out of the year and have three months of maintenance. In severe drought years, we’ve had as few as 100 days of production."
The maintenance work included replacing two gear boxes and changing the bottom barrel on four screw pumps, which helps water flow into the ponds.