Not just an eyesore: How trash brings a greater flood risk to areas

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — As storms roll into El Paso, residents face a recurring issue: debris turning downpours into dangerous flooding.

Responsibility for keeping El Paso's drain infrastructure open is shared across city and regional operations.

El Paso Water's Stormwater Utility operates as the main agency managing the city's major stormwater infrastructure. EPWater crews regularly clear plants, silt, and pounds of illegally dumped trash out of drainage basins.

EPWater said every piece of litter makes a difference. When debris accumulates, it doesn't allow the city's drainage systems to work properly.

The utility has more than 8,000 storm drain inlets across El Paso. It said some people use the drains as dumping grounds.

EPWater spokesperson Denise Parra said the trash piles are more than just an eyesore. With clogged systems, water has nowhere to go but the streets and even people's homes.

"It means that some of our stormwater infrastructure can be potentially impacted when there's a lot of trash," Parra said.

Macario Duran, a Central El Paso resident of 63 years, said he's seen the drains piled with trash on numerous occasions.

"There's always a trash can where you can dump your trash," Duran said. "But there's a lot of people that don't, and that's what happens to those drains."