El Paso Water Utilties says stormwater system is responding as rain continues to fall

El Paso Water Utilities’ stormwater system has been pressed into action by this week’s rain storms. The utility apologizes for the inconvenience experienced by commuters Wednesday morning when I-10 flooded in the Copia Street area. Crews pumped stormwater from an adjacent pond and cleared the area of debris to alleviate the flooding. Traffic was flowing smoothly within a few hours.

Today, the central area continues to receive heavy rains. The ponds, pump stations and pipes are at full capacity. Our crews are working around the clock to keep freeway traffic moving, but water may enter the traffic lanes on I-10 if the rain does not stop. Please allow for extra time in your commute.

All other parts of the system are currently working well and all major facilities are functioning properly. Stormwater crews remain on high alert, and vactor trucks are being dispatched to remove standing water in some flooded areas.

Several completed master plan projects were among those most tested by yesterday’s stormy weather, including:

Central El Paso: Inlets helped keep water off of neighborhood streets and channeled it into the Government Hills Ditch. (Click here to access video)

Northeast El Paso: Northeast Channel No. 2 moved thousands of gallons of runoff from north of Transmountain Road. (Click here to access video)

West El Paso: Plaza Redonda conveys runoff from a residential area to a nearby arroyo. (See photo attached)

East El Paso: Water flowed into the rebuilt Glen Campbell Pond. Structural damage and erosion no longer block the spillway, which previously caused 18-24 inches of flooding in nearby streets during heavy rainfall. (Click here to access video)

System improvements have significantly reduced flooding in Central El Paso; however, additional work must be completed to alleviate flooding in the area of Copia and I-10. El Paso Water Utilities has completed three phases of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar project. Subsequent phases will provide additional ponds to capture runoff from the mountains and pipelines and pumps to move water to the river.

Source: El Paso Water Utilities