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Wastewater Spill Contained at John T. Hickerson Facility in El Paso

KVIA••Yvonne Suarez
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El Paso Water has successfully contained a spill of approximately 670,000 gallons of wastewater at the John T. Hickerson Wastewater Treatment Facility, reported early today at 12:10 a.m. The spill was caused by the failure of four contractor pumps, with most of the wastewater contained on-site, although a small amount reached the nearby dry riverbed of the Rio Grande. Despite this, El Paso Water assures that there is no risk to the region's surface water supply, as treatment plants are not operational due to the lack of water release from the Elephant Butte Reservoir. The contractor is responsible for repairs and environmental mitigation, and there is no immediate risk to public health or safety.

Key Details: • Containment measures included constructing berms to limit spill flow. • Residents near the spill using private wells should boil water for at least one minute before use. • Contact the Water Quality Compliance Officer at 915-238-5050 for questions.

environment public-health rio-grande el-paso-water wastewater

People & Organizations

Texas Commission on Environmental QualityRio GrandeEl Paso WaterJohn T. Hickerson Wastewater Treatment Facility

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