SPECIAL REPORT: Water thieves could be impacting your bill

From the kitchen to the yard, sometimes we take the process to make water, our most precious natural resource, conveniently accessible at home.

El Paso Water Utilities supplies El Pasoans with water through a variety of different outlets. The utility gets half of El Paso’s water source from the Rio Grande, the rest comes from aquifers and the desalination plant.

Many property owners near the Rio Grande and its irrigation canals have water rights and they can sell those rights to the utility company.

EPWU pays the resident $1,500 and picks up the water tax, however, the contract lasts 75 years. The company has more that 20,000 contracts leases, but as ABC-7 has learned, some people allegedly break contract.

After signing the lease agreement with the utility, some residents will continue to take the water. Utility officials say this crime has the potential to impact your bill since more water is being used.

Bobby Grayson is one of the gatekeepers for a small tract in the Lower Valley. He is in charge of releasing the water to the residents on his tract who have water rights.

Those who have water-rights pay $50 a year. Grayson says he has had residents on his tract who have illegally taken the water, which is a misdemeanor.

‘They are not paying that $50 and they are getting that green grass,” Grayson said.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation. If caught, the justice of the peace will fine violators.

“I have enforcement people that go out and patrol and make sure people who access the water actually have rights,” Grayson said.

If you know of anyone who is stealing water call 915-594-5663.