Illegal dumping in El Paso canals poses potential flooding threat

Monsoon season is here and El Paso Water has been dealing with a problem that could make the heavy rain even more dangerous. It’s all being caused by litter.

A representative from El Paso Water says that when they come to clean the canals, they often see tires, old furniture and even construction debris. This can cause flooding to occur in residential areas because the canals were built to hold flood water after storms.

“All that illegally dumped trash that is here actually is dangerous to our storm water system,” said Carlos Briano, the Lead Public Affairs Coordinator for El Paso Water. “It can cause flooding that instead of coming in here could go into residential areas.”

This littering can be considered illegal dumping, which is a prosecutable offense. Residents who live near canals are urged to call 311 to report anyone dumping their trash in the canals. They are also urged to take photos and videos to help identify those committing the crime.

There are drop-off points for large throughout the city, and residents can find out where and when to go to these locations by calling 311. While clean up may be more obvious in the summer, Briano says the work is never done.

“It’s a year round process,” Briano said. “A lot of people think of monsoons season, and they’re like ‘oh they’re cleaning, “But it takes a year, it’s a never-ending process for us. We have dams, we have ponds, we have inlets, channels, all kinds of things”