The upper valley water treatment plant (uvwtp), an arsenic treatment facility that draws its supply water from numerous groundwater wells, is owned and run by EL paso water (epwater)

This $2,000,000 Project Grant award, funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation under the Water Recycling and Desalination Construction Programs (CFDA 15.504), will support the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board in conducting a feasibility study, alternatives analysis, preliminary design, environmental impact studies, and compliance analysis activities for a water reuse solution at the Upper Valley Water Treatment Plant.

The key objectives of the project are to: 1) meet growing water demand in West El Paso, 2) limit groundwater use impacts on the Rio Grande, and 3) provide relief to the Frontera Force Main sewer pipeline by treating wastewater at lift stations and discharging the reuse water into an irrigation canal. The treated reuse water would then be further purified at the treatment plant and added to the drinking water distribution system. This project aims to enhance regional water resilience, reduce the risk of future wastewater spills into the Rio Grande, and support groundwater recharge through the irrigation canal.

Epwater is seeking to investigate a water reuse solution to expand this facility to meet three objectives: 1) to meet growing demand for water supply in west EL paso 2) to adjust groundwater use to limit impact to river flows managed by the RIO grande project and 3) to provide relief to the frontera force main sewer pipeline that currently collects and conveys all sewage on the west side of the city to the hickerson wastewater treatment plant. The frontera force main (frontera FM) sewer pipeline is similarly owned and run by epwater. This large-diameter sewer line receives flow from northwest EL paso and is located close to the RIO grande. Multiple catastrophic failures along the frontera FM in 2022 led to a situation in which epwater was discharging raw sewage into the RIO grande for five months with an estimated total discharge of 1 billion gallons. The pipeline has mostly been renovated, but IT still poses a risk because of its proximity to the RIO grande and the large volumes of wastewater that IT transports. The frontera FM is fueled by roughly 24 wastewater lift stations. As part of the project, treatment units would be installed at selected lift stations to treat the wastewater and then discharge the reuse water into an irrigation drainage canal called the vinton drain, which runs along the border of the uvwtp. Advanced treatment units would be added to the plant and the surface reuse water from the drain would be treated to drinking water quality standards and sent to the distribution system as a fresh water source to limit groundwater pumping and meet anticipated future demand brought on by local growth. By removing some portion of the wastewater flow from the frontera FM, the project would also considerably lower the likelihood of a future wastewater spill event into the RIO grande.reuse water obtained from the wastewater lift station locations would also contribute to groundwater recharge through the unlined irrigation drain canal with some flows sent to the keystone heritage park and desert botanical gardens to enhance the habitat.EL paso water is seeking grant funding to assist with a feasibility study, alternatives analysis, preliminary design, environmental impact studies, and compliance analysis activities, which would help epwater better understand engineering options, environmental impacts and scope along with determining costs and benefits. The project planning phase will begin in november 2023 and conclude by november 2025. The design and construction would follow with estimated project completion in 2029. IT is not believed that any federal lands are involved in the proposed project at this stage, but this will be confirmed during the study.