QUICK FACTS
- Located at 9070 N. Vinton Road (79821)
- Operational in 2005
- 30 MGD Treated/Distributed
Plant Function
The plant removes naturally occurring arsenic found within the 21 groundwater wells that make up the Canutillo well field. The plant treats up to 30 MGD of groundwater for blending with up to another 30 MGD of untreated groundwater to produce a finished product with an arsenic concentration of 8 ppb or less.
Until 2006, the maximum amount of allowable arsenic in U.S. drinking water had been set at 50 parts per billion (ppb). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), revised that standard to 10 ppb. El Paso Water designed and constructed the Upper Valley Water Treatment Plant to comply with that standard with regards to groundwater from the Mesilla Bolson, where El Paso obtains 19 percent of its water.
Area(s) Served
Upper Valley, West Side, Canutillo, Vinton and Westway
Interesting Facts
This facility is one of the largest in the nation that was constructed as a direct result of the EPA’s revision to the federal regulation of arsenic levels in drinking water.
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