El Paso Water has been delivering reclaimed water to the community since 1963.
Today, EPWater supplies golf courses, city parks, school grounds, apartment landscapes, construction, and industrial sites with over 5.83 million gallons per day of reclaimed water. Reclaimed water is also used for the operation of electric power plants and to recharge the Hueco Bolson through injection wells and infiltration basins.
About water reclamation
After the treatment of wastewater, many utilities simply discharge their effluent in a river, stream or ocean. EPWater made a decision many years ago to think of reclaimed water as a valuable resource. While we still discharge some effluent as required by our Clean Water Act permit to help maintain the river ecosystem, we capture and reuse or reclaim large amounts of treated water.
Every gallon of reclaimed water used to irrigate crops and landscapes or for construction or industrial use is one gallon of potable water that is saved. This means less pumping and preservation of our aquifers.
Wastewater within EPWater’s service area is collected and treated at one of four reclamation plants, using advanced secondary or tertiary treatment.
Reclaimed water is non-potable and has a higher content of salts than potable water. Proper management of these salts is advised to reduce accumulation in the soil.
Who can use reclaimed water?
Reclaimed water use has been proven safe for the following types of applications throughout the U.S. and is approved for use by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- City parks
- School playgrounds and sports fields
- Landscape nurseries
- Sports complexes
- Golf courses
- Street median landscaping
- Construction projects
- Street sweeping
- Fire protection
- Residential landscape
- Apartment landscape
- Industrial cooling towers
- Industrial processes
Learn more about irrigating with reclaimed water:
Apply for service
To request temporary reclaimed water services, visit our Reclaimed Water Forms page or call 915-594-5443.