EL PASOANS REDUCE WATER USE IN 2010 News Release Contact: Christina Montoya, Vice President-Marketing and Communication 915-594-5596 (office), e-mail: cmontoya@epwu.org Date: December 29, 2010 EL PASO – El Pasoans are serious about water conservation. Daily water use averaged 133 gallons per person in 2010, which is two gallons per person less than in 2009. Daily water use averaged 200 gallons per person in 1991 when the Public Service Board adopted its water resources management plan. Education, enforcement and incentives were incorporated into a successful conservation program that helped ensure the city’s long-term water supply. Many El Pasoans have replaced lawns with water-efficient landscaping and exchanged evaporative coolers for refrigerated air. Other savings resulted from low-water-use plumbing fixtures and appliances, which pay off in more ways than one. Curbing indoor water use reduces the amount of water pumped from El Paso’s aquifers or treated from the Rio Grande. At the same time, it reduces the amount of sewage that flows into the utility’s wastewater treatment plants. Reduced water use also helps EPWU keep pace with the city’s growth without expanding its water and wastewater plants. Postponing plant expansions saves millions of dollars in capital, financing and operating costs for the utility and its customers. El Paso Water Utilities is known throughout the country for its successful water conservation program. The utility’s goal is to maintain or reduce water use through education and advances in technology.