Proposed DHS facility in Socorro could strain water resources; according to some state lawmakers

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- Democratic State Rep. Vince Perez told ABC-7 that the proposed DHS facility in Socorro could use more than one million gallons of water a day. In an area that is already water issues such as low water pressure.

The facility will sit in the Lower Valley Water District, which gets their water supplied through an agreement with El Paso Water.

Perez and other lawmakers are urging the El Paso Water's Public Service Board to take a closer look at the long standing agreement between them and the Lower Valley Water District. 

El Paso Water officials during their Public Service Board meeting directed staff to issue a letter to the Lower Valley Water District to formally request the information needed "to assess the impact of those developments on El Paso Water," said Gilbert Trejo, the VP of Engineering, Operations & Technical Services.

Michael Hamlin has farmed near the proposed facilities for about nine years. He said irrigation has already been a concern for local farmers.

“Our biggest issue is the utilities,” Hamlin said. “As far as doing the cost of it, it’s jumping huge amounts.”

Hamlin said he is particularly worried about whether the region will have enough water to support both agriculture and a large detention facility.

“I’m worried about quantity,” he said. “As far as the pressure goes, that shouldn’t affect the pressure so much — unless they’re using large quantities constantly.”

Gerald Grijalva, general manager of the Lower Valley Water District, said residents should not see immediate impacts to their water service from the facilities. However, he acknowledged the project could place additional strain on the region’s water resources.

Grijalva said the facility now under development appears different from what the district initially approved.

“It looks like a warehouse, and it acts like a warehouse right now,” Grijalva said. “Minimal bathrooms, and they’ve got smaller water tanks for fire suppression. That’s what we approved. This is turning into something very different.”

State Rep. Vince Perez said the detention center is expected to house about 8,500 people once operational.

At an estimated 100 gallons of water per person per day, Perez said the facility could require about 850,000 gallons daily.

“You’re looking at 850,000 gallons,” Perez said. “Again, that’s a low-end conservative estimate.”

He said total water use could exceed 1 million gallons per day, which would represent roughly 15% to 20% of the water the Lower Valley Water District receives from El Paso Water.

“That’s a mega customer,” Perez said.

Perez recently sent a letter to the Public Service Board, which governs El Paso Water, asking members to review their agreement with the Lower Valley Water District.

On Wednesday, the board directed staff to send a letter to the district requesting more information about future developments planned in the area.

Gilbert Trejo with El Paso Water said the request is part of routine planning as the Lower Valley continues to grow.

“Whether it’s a detention facility or any other industrial development that’s going on, it’s not only that,” Trejo said. “There’s a lot of residential growth that is planned for Lower Valley Water as well. So again, this is a lot of the regular course of business.”

For residents like Hamlin, the message is simple.

“Leave us alone,” he said. “Let the farmers be farmers. Keep the farmers in business.”