Beaumont Army Med. Center suspends surgeries due to water quality concerns
El Paso, Texas - The Fort Bliss hospital commander has determined water is not safe to drink at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.
Fort Bliss announced Thursday night that late last month staff members in one department found debris in their water.
In a statement, a spokeswoman said that at the beginning they thought the problem was isolated to that department.
Fort Bliss said they tested the water a few days later and hospital staff found discolored water with sediment in other parts of the facility.
After multiple tests, Fort Bliss confirmed the water supply coming from the city of El Paso’s utility was not the issue. Hospital officials say they suspect the root cause is the building's internal plumbing. The facility opened in 2021.
Health officials assured found no bacteria or viruses in the water that could cause a disease.
Still, the hospital commander declared the hospital water not safe for drinking and not safe for sterile procedures.
Fort bliss said the hospital will continue operations in a limited fashion, sending trauma cases to other area hospitals, postponing elective surgeries, and sterilizing all equipment in a separate off-site facility. The hospital is also providing bottled water to patients and staff for drinking and other uses.
