$20 million drinking water and wastewater projects in Vinton, Texas, break ground

Martha Pskowski, El Paso Times
·3 min read

The village of Vinton, Texas, is one step closer to having public drinking water and wastewater collection.

The village broke ground Thursday on Phase II of a new drinking water and wastewater system that will increase reliability and reduce public health risks.

The North American Development Bank (NADB), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) are funding the two projects, which will cost an estimated $20.44 million. These partners, along with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso), joined the groundbreaking Thursday afternoon in Vinton, a village of more than 2,000 people, 25 miles north of downtown El Paso.

The project will provide access to safe and reliable drinking water from the the El Paso Water system for 360 households, eliminating exposure to arsenic and pathogens from private wells and water suppliers. The wastewater project will provide first-time services to 506 homes that now rely on septic tanks. Vinton is one of many communities near the U.S.-Mexico border with inadequate access to drinking water and safe sewage disposal.

"The project before us is more than just pipelines and pump stations," said Vinton mayor Manny Leos. "I see it in a broader context ... as an important part of the growth and the sustainment of our community and taking us to the next level in economic development."

National, state and local leaders took part in the groundbreaking in Vinton, Texas on Jan. 27, 2022.
National, state and local leaders took part in the groundbreaking in Vinton, Texas on Jan. 27, 2022.

Federal and state agencies support water projects

The NADB and the EPA are supporting the projects with $6.5 million in grants from the Border Environmental Infrastructure Fund. The project is expected to be completed in Spring 2023.

Leos thanked partners at the local, state and federal levels for supporting the projects, as well as his predecessor, Madeleine Praino, who served 10 years as mayor before stepping down in 2016. According to the 2020 census, the village of Vinton has 2,684 residents, 80% of them Hispanic or Latino.

Rep. Veronica Escobar speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of Vinton's water and wastewater project.
Rep. Veronica Escobar speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of Vinton's water and wastewater project.

Escobar said border communities have gone too long without adequate water infrastructure.

"I am proud to see how this federal investment is modernizing our water infrastructure and improving our quality of life," Escobar said.

"There are so many families for whom turning on a faucet was but a dream," she said.

Environmental engineer Earthea Nance was named administrator of EPA Region 6 in December. Region 6 covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Nance attended the groundbreaking and spoke to the importance of improving access to clean water through the recent Infrastructure Law.

"Everyone has the right to clean water, fresh air, and to public health. So this is part of that," she said.

More: Development bank announces new funding for climate, green economy projects on border

The Village of Vinton celebrated the groundbreaking on Phase II of their water and sewage project, funded by the EPA, the Texas Water Development Board and the North American Development Bank.
The Village of Vinton celebrated the groundbreaking on Phase II of their water and sewage project, funded by the EPA, the Texas Water Development Board and the North American Development Bank.

A long path to water access

Leos, elected in 2016, said Thursday's groundbreaking was the culmination of more than two decades of work.

Most of Vinton currently relies on private wells and water providers. In 2012, Vinton received funding to build storage tanks and a pipeline to bring in water from El Paso. But three members of Vinton City Council voted against the plan and the funding fell through. Former mayor Praino, in attendance on Thursday, continued working to execute the project.

In a 2015 study, UTEP researchers found Vinton's existing water sources did not meet drinking water standards for total dissolved solids and arsenic. Vinton residents reported stomach problems, diarrhea and skin problems, which can be related to arsenic and biological organisms in water.

Representatives of the EPA, the North American Development Bank and the Texas Water Development Board joined the Village of Vinton in breaking ground on a water and wastewater project on Jan. 27, 2022.
Representatives of the EPA, the North American Development Bank and the Texas Water Development Board joined the Village of Vinton in breaking ground on a water and wastewater project on Jan. 27, 2022.

The wastewater collection system and connection to the El Paso Water system will reduce these public health risks for Vinton residents. El Paso Water will operate and maintain the wastewater system, but it will be owned by the Village of Vinton.

Staff writer Martha Pskowski may be reached at mpskowski@elpasotimes.com and @psskow on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Drinking water and wastewater projects in Vinton, Texas, break ground