ABC-7 Xtra Sunday – El Paso Water main break repairs, rate increases, and what comes next

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A major water main break in the middle of the night this past weekend lead to a more than rude awakening for an El Paso family - and tens of thousands of Central and Northeast residents were left with low or no water service and boil water orders in the days that followed.

Area reservoirs were drained as the aging sections of infrastructure required El Paso Water to completely replace and even install new valves in surrounding sections to stop the flow and make the repairs.

As service is restored and immediate repairs finished, questions arise from the aftermath of why did it happen - and what needs to be done now to ensure reliability, health and safety.

The Public Service Board that oversees the utility also approved a rate increase for most residential customers as part of an overall $1.16 billion budget for the next fiscal year starting in March.

Join host Andrew J. Polk as he speaks with Gilbert Trejo, El Paso Water Vice President of Engineering, Operations and Technical Services and Dr. Hector Ocaranza, Health Authority for the City and County of El Paso as they discuss the concerns of the community, the next steps and the longer-term view on the future of the region's water supply and services.

Tune in Sunday at 10:35 p.m., right after ABC-7 at 10 Weekend.