El Paso Solves Its Water problems

The city of El Paso sits in the high desert area of West Texas. For years, many have wondered where the city was going to find the water for growth and for the future. Recently, the U.S. Base Closure committee wanted to move several thousand more troops to Fort Bliss (near El Paso), but questioned whether the city had the water resources to support the move.

Those questions have now been answered. There is a large aquifer sitting a few hundred feet underneath Fort Bliss. In fact, it is six times larger than the fresh water aquifer now supplying El Paso. The only problem was that the water was brackish and undrinkable, that is until yesterday.

Yesterday, the city celebrated the opening of a new desalination plant that will make that water usable. The $87 million plant is capable of delivering 27.5 million gallons of fresh drinking water each day. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant will be able to supply the city's needs for at least the next 50 years.

The plant's namesake, Senator Hutchison, was on hand for the opening. She was able to steer $29 million in federal dollars to the city to help build the plant. I've never been a fan of Senator Hutchison's, but she deserves her props for helping El Paso to get the plant built.

The plant is the largest desalination plant not located on a coastal area. The good thing for Texas is that this could be an example of what can be accomplished in other areas of our state. And Texas can use all the help it can get in finding sources of water for the future.

We live in one of the fastest growing states, but it is also a state with depleting water resources. Being able to turn brackish water into fresh drinkable water is a technology that Texas can put to good use.

Congratulations to the city of El Paso. I hope your new plant does everything you need it to do.