Texas commission ordering El Paso Water to pay $2 million for 2021 wastewater spill

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Water is being fined more than $2 million for a wastewater spill in 2021.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is ordering El Paso Water to pay the fine after the Frontera Force Main water emergency, which forced the utility to discharge approximately 1.2 billion gallons of wastewater into the Rio Grande.

El Paso Water spent about $7 million to clean up the spill.

Company officials tell ABC-7 that ratepayers will not have to pay to cover the costs of the fine.

"The penalty that was assessed has been offset by all the efforts put forth by El Paso Water," Vice President of Operations Gilbert Trejo said. "Currently, the project to replace the wastewater force feeds continues. So although there was the initial pipeline project that was completed back in 2021 efforts to to replace the remainder of the pipelines continue."

El Paso Water says that the third phase of that pipe replacement process started this month.