UPDATE: Mayor Declares Water Emergency

***UPDATE: Mayor John F. Cook has declared a water emergency in the city of El Paso. This is pursuant to the city’s drought and water emergency code, title 15.13.120. This allows EPWU to enforce mandatory water restrictions currently in effect. If car washes, laundromats and industrial users do not comply their water supply will be shut off.***

The mandatory water restrictions will remain in effect until further notice. The public is asked to refrain from washing cars, showering, using dishwasher or clothes washing machines, or anything else that uses a large amount of water. The only exceptions are water used for public safety purposes like hospitals and other emergency medical facilities. We will notify you when the restrictions are over.

The entire city is also under a boil water alert. Please boil any water before consumption until further notice. This is a precautionary measure because low water levels in the reservoirs and broken pipes on private properties can lead to possible contamination in the water supply.

The unavailability of water is due to many factors: the rolling blackouts that EPWU participated in at the request of El Paso Electric, the freezing temperatures that caused damage to our facilities and lines, and pipe leaks throughout the city as frozen pipes begin to thaw. This is causing the demand for water to be abnormally high while reservoir levels remain low and equipment is still being repaired.

It is critical for the public to cooperate with these restrictions so the reservoirs can be refilled as quickly as possible.