Treating wastewater for reuse as drinking water has long been controversial. However, as technology advances and water resources become scarce, more cities are considering direct reuse.
El Paso exemplifies the effective use of wastewater reuse to enhance and diversify its freshwater supplies, which are increasingly threatened by drought and the impacts of climate change. El Paso is a desert city with limited rainfall, averaging only nine inches annually. The city also experienced some of its hottest years in 2023 and 2024.
In late February, the city announced plans to construct the El Paso Pure Water Center, an advanced water purification facility. This will be the first of its kind, capable of producing 10 million gallons of purified water daily, which will meet 9% of the city’s water demands for its 700,000 residents by 2028.
The $295 million project will receive $23.5 million from the US Bureau of Reclamation. Customers will bear the remaining costs, which may increase residents’ water bills.
Estimates indicate that the purification plant will cost just under $500 to produce an acre-foot of water, which is approximately 326,000 gallons. According to John Balliew, El Paso Water’s chief executive, this cost falls between the cheapest method of drawing water from groundwater at $245 per acre-foot and the most expensive method of importing water at $1,300.
How El Paso’s Advanced Purification Facility works.
The image below from Inside Climate News illustrates the advanced multiple-barrier water purification process. Treated wastewater from the Roberto Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant in El Paso will undergo a series of purification steps. First, the source water will pass through reverse osmosis, which removes harmful substances from the water. Next, it will be treated with hydrogen peroxide and exposed to ultraviolet light to eliminate any remaining bacteria. After that, the water will go through activated carbon filters to absorb chemicals and contaminants. Finally, the water will be disinfected through chlorination.
Water Recycling in El Paso
El Paso has historically relied on the Rio Grande, which continues to diminish, and groundwater from the Hueco Bolson, a source shared with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Since the 1960s, El Paso has been reusing treated wastewater for irrigation. In the 1980s, the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation Plant in northeastern El Paso County began treating millions of gallons of sewage daily, transforming it into potable water. This treated water is used for industrial purposes, irrigation, and recharging the Hueco Bolson aquifer.
More Cities to Follow El Paso’s Leadership
Alex Mayer, a civil engineer and director of the University of Texas at El Paso’s Center for Environmental Resource Management, commended El Paso as a leader in “drought-proofing” water supplies. He noted that the utility has proactively planned to ensure continued water availability.
Cities like Phoenix and Tucson are expected to follow El Paso’s example. Additionally, communities across Texas, from the Panhandle to the Hill Country, are evaluating their facilities. Recently, Colorado and California have also adopted regulations to oversee treatment technology.
“El Paso, Texas, is the center of the universe in water recycling right now,” stated Gilbert Trejo, vice president of operations at the utility, during the groundbreaking ceremony.
As El Paso moves forward with its advanced wastewater recycling plant, it sets a powerful example for other cities facing similar challenges.
By investing in innovative water purification technology that recycles wastewater – water that would otherwise be discarded and cause environmental issues – the city addresses its immediate water needs and creates a model for resilience in the face of growing droughts and climate change impacts.
This initiative is a step in the right direction towards sustainable water practices, ensuring future generations have access to clean, reliable water.
Sources:
Pskowski, M. (2025, March 3). El Paso Is Going to Turn Wastewater Into Drinking Water. Other Cities Will Soon Follow. Inside Climate News. Retrieved from https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03032025/el-paso-wastewater-drinking-water/
Moyers, D. (2025, March 9). As it seeks to drought-proof El Paso, city’s water utility breaks ground on first-of-its-kind water recycling plant. El Paso Matters. Retrieved from https://elpasomatters.org/2025/03/09/el-paso-water-sewage-purification-plant/
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