New Mexico Environment Department fines El Paso water $1.2 million for sewage discharge
SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico -- El Paso Water is being fined $1.2 million for discharging an estimated 1.1 billion gallons of raw sewage into the Rio Grande in Sunland Park, New Mexico.
The New Mexico Environment Department issued the Administrative Compliance Orders and fines to El Paso Water Thursday. The orders also require El Paso Water to fix the problems that caused wastewater diversion.
“El Paso Water’s flagrant disregard for the health and welfare of New Mexicans in Sunland is
astonishing,” said Environment Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “We are holding this polluter
accountable for their malfeasance and will not stop doing so until the damage is corrected and El Paso
Water can assure the New Mexico Environment Department such a discharge will not happen again.”
The pipe breaks happened on August 13, 2021 on the Frontera Force Mains in west El Paso. El Paso Water says additional breaks forced EP Water to divert the wastewater the pipes carry to the Rio Grande in late August.
According to NMED, El Paso Water never reported the discharge to NMED, a violation of the Water Quality Act and Water Quality Control Commission regulations.
