Aquifer Recharge Field Trip, Saturday 10/21, 10AM

Celebration of Our Mountains and El Paso Water have scheduled a very valuable field trip this Saturday at 10 AM. Recharging our aquifers is vital for our water supply and for our survival as a city in the Chihuahuan Desert. You will see a critical strategy that El Paso Water uses to recharge the aquifers.

Saturday, October 21, 2017, 10:00 AM
Aquifer Recharge Field Trip

Learn more about El Paso Water’s pioneering efforts to clean wastewater to drinking-water quality standards. EP Water has been using reclaimed water to recharge the Hueco Bolson Aquifer for decades. Hear more about water reclamation from Scott Reinert, El Paso Water’s water resources engineer. Meet at Painted Dunes Golf Club, 12000 McCombs St., inside the restaurant for orientation. Participants will caravan for a short drive to the recharge basins. Expect minimal walking during this 1.5-hour field trip. Bring comfortable shoes, water and a hat.

For more information, contact Scott Reinert, 915-253-2004, sreinert@epwu.org.


http://www.celebmtns.org/2017-events/2017/aquifer-recharge-field-trip

Celebration of Our Mountains on Facebook

El Paso Water on Facebook

Sustainable, Reliable Water

I and my neighbors have been watching the construction of a "mammoth" water tower in our neighborhood. Those of us who live on the mountain side of Austin High School, now see the tower loom over that school. The cool video above was posted on the El Paso Water Facebook page on October 2nd. It tells how these new towers will make water more sustainable and reliable. (How do the people working inside get out?)

El Paso Water's Communications and Marketing, Christina Montoya, sent these factoids to me:

Additional water tanks in specific areas will allow EPWater to meet water demands when some parts of the system may be down in emergency situations.

o   In 2011, frozen equipment and hundreds of broken water pipes caused water tanks to be emptied faster than they could be filled.
o   These tanks will give us the flexibility to move water where it is needed most.
o   These and other improvements will make EPWater more resilient in a power outage or a weather emergency.

Three new water tank projects will accommodate growth in key areas.

o   Memphis Tank will hold 2.5 million gallons of water in Central El Paso
o   Airport Tank holds 4.4 million gallons in the Lower Valley – completed
o   Ventanas Tank will hold 2 million gallons in the far east - completed

EPWater is highlighting these crucial projects to highlight investments needed in infrastructure

o   Water infrastructure is often out of sight and out of mind so it is hard for customers to appreciate and understand it.
o   Investment in water infrastructure is crucial to maintain essential services and ensure public safety.

o   Projects like this are a big part of our efforts to provide reliable water service.

The graphics below show you just how these new tanks work. Just click on them or the title to enlarge.

How Water Works – Water Storage

How Water Works – Water Distribution Systems by jimhtolbert434 on Scribd

Thank you, El Paso Water!

Scenic Drive Closures

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Scenic Sunday will continue this week and for the weeks to come in spite of construction that will shut down the Richmond and Louisville entrances from Alabama. Here's what the press release from El Paso Water says:

"Starting Monday, August 14, El Paso Water will close Scenic Drive from Wheeling Avenue to Alabama to all traffic for several weeks to complete the next phase of the Kentucky Dam stormwater improvement project.

"Additionally, small portions of neighboring streets will be restricted to local traffic during construction:

• Streets between Scenic Drive and Alabama
• Streets between Wheeling Avenue and Altura Avenue

"Drivers will still be able to enter and exit Scenic Drive by detouring around the closure on Alabama Street and turning west onto Wheeling Avenue."

Spread the word.

"The $3.9 million project will help reduce flooding in Central El Paso. The project will increase the capacity of nearby ponds and add piping that keeps water off the streets by directing stormwater into the dam. Additionally, the project will improve service in the area by replacing water and wastewater lines."

Water Smart Landscapes Workshop at TecH2O

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Put this on your Saturday to-do list. Rodriguez is the best. You will learn much and get some great tips. Directions to the TecH2O Center.

Do visit El Paso Water's Conservation page. You will get indoor and outdoor tips and get a list of water smart plants.

Make plans to go to upcoming Water Smart Workshops at TecH2O.

You might want to look at EPA's Water Sense site. There are multiple topics to help you save water.

Aquifer Recharge Field Trip

Very Important Water Town Hall Meeting

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H2O4 Texas Statewide Water Tour Event - Wednesday, October 26, 2016

9:00 a.m. -- Region E Town Hall Meeting

(Open to public, everyone is welcome.  No RSVP required.)

Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, 10 Civic Center, El Paso, Texas  79901

 

9:00 a.m.       Welcome to El Paso and Region E – Members of the Legislature & Local Officials

 

9:15 a.m.       Goals of the H2O4TEXAS Statewide Tour – Heather Harward, Executive Director, H2O4TEXAS Coalition

 

9:30 a.m.       Why the State Water Plan matters to Texas’ economy – Justin Yancy, President, Texas Business Leadership Council

 

9:40 a.m.       El Paso, Energy and Water – Mary Kipp, Chief Executive Officer, El Paso Electric Co.

 

9:45 a.m.       Overview of water planning in Texas and the State Water Plan interactive map – Director Peter Lake, Board Member, Texas Water Development Board

 

10:15 a.m.     Highlights from the Region E Water Plan – Jesus “Chuy” Reyes, Chair, Region E Water Planning Group

 

10:30 a.m.     Water Supplies, Drought Cycles and the Rio Grande – John Balliew, President and Chief Executive Officer, El Paso Water

 

10:45 a.m.     Takeaways and future of the H2O4TEXAS Statewide Tour – Heather Harward, Executive Director, H2O4TEXAS Coalition

Stargazing this Friday at TecH2O

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Don't Miss Desert Skies Viewing

Here's an upcoming Celebration of Our Mountains event produced by TecH2O of El Paso Water.

The Friday Video: Conservation at St. Columban

Elpasonaturally alerted El Paso Water to the conservation going on at the Columban Mission Center in El Paso. This followed two blog posts about their efforts. See them HERE and HERE. It was great to see the video above posted in El Paso Water's news and headlines. Visit El Paso Water on Facebook and the Columban Mission Center.

If you get Elpasonaturally by email, go to www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com to view the video.

Celebration of Our Mountains Kicks Off This Saturday

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Click on image to enlarge.

The 22nd Annual Celebration of Our Mountains kicks off this Saturday with two great events. Be sure to visit www.celebmtns.org for more information and to find out about any additions to the 2016 COM or updates about events.

Please visit El Paso Water and Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park.

On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EPWater/ and https://www.facebook.com/WylerAerialTramwayStatePark/

On Twitter https://twitter.com/EPWater