El Paso Water reduces affected customers, boil water notice remains

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Water held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon to provide updates on the water main break and boil water notice affecting thousands of customers in Northeast and Central El Paso.

El Paso Water said it has made progress in restoring service, reducing the number of affected customers from 100,000 to 24,000.

Despite some service restoration, Gilbert Trejo, VP of Operations and Technical Services, confirmed that a water boil notice remains in effect and can last from another 24 hours to 36 hours.

“Preliminary laboratory results from samples collected yesterday in certain locations are encouraging. However we must follow Texas Commission on environmental quality requirements and complete all required testing steps before the notice can be lifted. At this time the entire affected area remains under a boil water notice,” Trejo said.

El Paso Water main break presser (Credit: KFOX14)

El Paso Water advises residents to boil water for at least three minutes to ensure it is safe for consumption.

Ruben Rodriguez, Chief Water Quality Compliance Officer, and Dr. Hector Ocaranza, El Paso City-County Health Authority, also discussed the ongoing situation, boil water notice, stating that the notice is precautionary and will remain in effect until further testing is done.

“We’re going to collect a lot of samples throughout the affected areas. These samples are tested for total coliform bacteria; specifically, we want to test for E. Coli in the water as well. These are done through state and EPA certified laboratories and through procedures that we follow in our own laboratory here at El Paso Water,” Rodriguez explained.

He added, “We’re having very good results, but we need to continue to test throughout before we lift the notice, that’s one of the requirements we have to do. I do want to stress that the boil water notice itself does not indicate that the water was contaminated; that’s something that we must take as a precaution, that’s something that TCQ requires. This process really cannot be rushed.”

The utility company also announced during a news conference that the damaged pipe has been removed and a new pipe will be installed on Tuesday.

“Repairing the 36-inch water main has been challenging primarily due to the need to fully dewater the area before crews could safely access the pipe. Last night we successfully isolated and removed the damaged section of pipe. Today crews are installing and welding the new pipe segment. ”

El Paso Water said in a social media post that crews removed the damaged segment of the 36-inch water main overnight.

“The operation has posed a challenge for crews, as they are simultaneously pumping remaining water out of the line to keep it out of the trench where crews are working,” El Paso Water said in the Facebook post.

Trejo stated, “When the work site is dry and when our crews are ready to work on the site, everything we need is on hand to complete the repairs.”

The affected pipe, which is said to be now closer to 70 years old, was not previously identified as high-risk.

“We have programs for old pipes to repair and replace old pipes,” Trejo said, noting that similar concrete pipes are widespread in the city.

During Tuesday’s update, Trejo said engineering studies are in place to address the issues with older pipes, stating that older pipes can often be corroded over time, but that different methods and programs are now used to extend the life of pipes.

“It’s our job as engineers to extend the life of these pipelines, and there are different methods in place to do that. But there are a lot of programs in place that we do to extend the life of these pipelines to avoid the complete replacement. Although we don’t know exactly what happened to this pipe, in most cases, it’s corrosion. It’s the corrosion of these pipes. So, back in the 50s, the technology that was available, the best available technology, was what was used. And that’s true for drinking water systems all over the country,” Trejo said.

He added, “So at the time, the steel cylinder, concrete-coated pipe was the best available, but those will corrode. So those are the ones that we’re working towards extending their life without massive replacements. Moving forward, we’re using non-corrosive materials, and this is a practice that we put in place several years ago now.”

Meanwhile, four homes near the break remain directly impacted by the water main break, as El Paso Water said it is working directly with those impacted on their housing situation.

Full restoration of water service could take up to 72 hours, and El Paso Water is urging residents and businesses to minimize water use and suspend all non-essential activities during this period.

El Paso Water created a map on its website to see the affected areas.

RELATED: El Paso Water crews removed damaged 36-inch main as boil notice remains in effect

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