EPWater provides updates regarding Cement Lake, road closures lifted
UPDATE ( April 26th - 2:52 PM) --According to El Paso Water, additional progress has been made in reducing the risk of dam failure at the Cement Lake Dam (also known as the Portland Reservoir) in West El Paso, allowing for reopening of the closed roadways.
“We had a very close call with a near-dam collapse, but it has been stabilized, and the risk is now very
low,” said EPWater President and CEO John Balliew. “Our crews acted quickly and decisively to
protect public safety and critical infrastructure.”
Officials with EPWater says that crews deployed as many as 16 pumps to lower water levels by
approximately 17 feet by Sunday morning which reduced pressure on the dam.
Water pumped from the lake was released near culverts that drain to the Rio Grande according to El Paso Water. The lake water quality was previously tested and met Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards for release to the river.
Saturday, April 25, crews were able to safely resume earthwork operations near the embankment to reinforce the compromised section of the dam, EPWater says. Earthwork activities had been halted late Thursday night after multiple indicators signaled a potential dam failure. Conditions at the time made it dangerous for personnel to remain in the area of the dam’s compromised section, which EPWater says had already shown signs of breaching and posed a serious hazard to major roadways.
EPWater says that the while roadway access has been restored, the area in and around the lake remains closed to all but authorized personnel as EPWater crews continues operations.
According to EPWater, City-County Office of Emergency Management and partner agencies played a key role in keeping the community safe.
Officials with EPWater say that the utility is shifting from emergency response to planning and executing a long-term solution for Cement Lake Dam and crews will continue working on-site to remove more water from the dam.
UPDATE (April 25th- 1:50 PM) -- El Paso Water posted on social media that crews overnight Saturday continued to pump out water from the Cement Lake Dam.
According to officials, EP Water crews have removed 92 inches (about 8 feet) as of this morning.
EP Water says that there are currently 13 pumps installed and additional pumps are expected to arrive later today. Road closures remain in place.
Update on April 23 at 9 p.m.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Water released an update to the possible Cement Lake dam breach the utility has been monitoring. The update stated, "Out of an abundance of caution, EPWater has relocated all personnel to higher ground and away from the immediate hazard area where a breach could occur."
This comes as the utility reports, "While earlier mitigation efforts successfully reduced some risk,
engineers are now observing increasingly concerning developments at the site, including slow-rate
slope failures, slight embankment movement, and water seepage—indicators consistent with a
breach that carries a risk of dam failure."
The utility also states they are "Working in close coordination with the City-County Office of Emergency Management, which has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to support response efforts."
As a precaution, roadways in the area will remain closed because of the "risk of flooding if the dam fails."
EPWater says while crews we're able to remove approximately 30 inches of water through pumping operations, the utility now says after assessments as much as 10 feet of water may need to be removed to stabilize conditions.
El Paso Water sent a news release saying they continue to monitor a potential dam breach at Cement Lake, located in West El Paso, also known as Portland Reservoir.
According to EPWater, they are taking precautionary measures and actions to protect public safety.
"EPWater is coordinating with emergency management and local agencies while crews make progress at the site," the utility said.
These are some of the actions taken by EPWater so far:
- Water is being pumped out of the lake and into the Rio Grande to reduce pressure on the dam.
- Crews are making progress lowering the lake level. Water levels have already been lowered by about 2 feet. The utility said it wants to lower up to 5 feet in total.
- Additional reductions are in progress to further reduce risk.
Impacts/Road Closures:
- Closures are precautionary based on potential impact areas. They will remain in place until risk is reduced and safety can be reassessed.
- Water from the spring-fed lake meets the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's standards.
- There is no adverse impact to the Rio Grande and no impact to our drinking water supply.
What Residents Should Do, according to EPWater:
- Avoid closed roads and follow traffic guidance.
- Stay updated through official EPWater channels.
- Follow direction from local authorities.
ABC-7 reached out to El Paso Water for comment and an interview. We also interviewed other local residents living near Cement Lake.
