PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR RECLAIMED WATER PROJECT News Release Contact: Christina Montoya, Vice President-Marketing and Communication 915-594-5596 (office), e-mail: cmontoya@epwu.org Date: January 12, 2009 WHO:   El Paso Water Utilities WHAT:   Public Hearing for North Central Reclaimed Water System Expansion WHEN:   Tuesday, Jan. 13, 6 p.m. WHERE:   Memorial Park Senior Center                 1800 Byron St. El Paso — The public is invited to attend a public hearing on the planned expansion of the Haskell R. Street Wastewater Treatment Plant’s reclaimed water system. This project will extend reclaimed water service from the plant to large turf areas in north central El Paso and Fort Bliss. During the public hearing, consultants will describe the project and review the findings documented in the Environmental Information Document amendment. Comments submitted at the hearing will be incorporated into the final document. The multi-million dollar expansion will be completed in two phases. The first phase, nearly half of which will be funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is scheduled to be completed by 2012. Reclaimed water is recycled wastewater that has received advanced treatment to improve its quality. It is used for applications that do not require potable water such as industrial washing and cooling, landscape irrigation and construction. Reclaimed water from the Haskell Street Plant currently serves several central El Paso locations including four parks, three schools, two cemeteries, Ascarate Golf Course and the El Paso Zoo. Using this drought-proof resource reduces demand on the potable water system and helps preserve long-term water supplies. Every gallon of reclaimed water used is a gallon of water that does not have to be pumped from the aquifers or taken from the Rio Grande.