Wastewater pipeline repairs almost done, discharge into Rio Grande to flow into January
El Paso Water staff say emergency repairs on the Frontera Force Mains wastewater pipelines are 90% complete and will be finished this month.
However, some level of wastewater discharge will continue into the Rio Grande in January as testing of the pipelines takes place and the John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility at 701 Executive Center Blvd. restarts operations.
El Paso Water Chief Technical Officer Gilbert Trejo gave a management report Wednesday morning to the Public Service Board. The Frontera Mains ruptured in August and wastewater has been discharged into the Rio Grande since then. Trejo outlined environmental monitoring and mitigation of the wastewater discharge, which is currently 12.5 million gallons per day. The PSB voted in favor of two resolutions to approve ongoing funding for repairs on the wastewater lines.
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Contractors continue repairs, total cost still unknown
The Frontera Force Mains span 3.5 miles from the West Side to the Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility. Repairs are taking place in three phases. The first stage, covering 1.2 miles, is near completion and will allow wastewater once again to flow through the pipelines to the Hickerson facility. The second stage of repairs, along the next 5,000 feet of the route, will begin next year and be completed in early 2023.
Mayor Oscar Leeser asked about the total cost so far of the emergency repairs.
Trejo said the total still is undetermined, but the utility will present it to the board when possible.
The last segment of emergency repairs is on the two connection ends of the pipeline. Contractors are installing carbon fiber wraps to prevent corrosion, which caused the wastewater main break earlier this year.
Once the pipeline installation is complete, the Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility still will need some time to restart operations. That is because "bugs," or microbes, remove organic nutrients from the wastewater to create clean water. After months out of commission, the microbial life at the facility must be revived before it can return to normal operation.
"We have to introduce wastewater and get them used to treating wastewater again," Trejo said.
He said pipeline testing and restarting the plant will take several weeks, meaning reduced levels of wastewater discharge will continue into January.
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Funding approved by PSB for emergency repairs
The PSB approved funding for the emergency repairs at the meeting Wednesday. A March 2020 resolution approved funds for contractors Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. and Oscar Renda Contracting Inc. to work on the wastewater main repairs.
Wednesday's resolution expanded this approval to other contractors brought in since the pipeline ruptured in August, including environmental analysts Arcadis, Bain Construction, FXSA and Western Dewatering.
In a separate resolution, the PSB approved $27 million to contract with Oscar Renda Contracting for the second phase of repairs. While $5 million is available now, another $22 million would be available next year, "provided that funding is available in the approved budget for the amendments."
The $27 million is an estimate and Trejo said, "Once we have a price for the job we will report back."
He said the high cost is due to difficult terrain in the construction area. The pipeline installation will require tunneling and removing and replacing a reinforced concrete deck along Doniphan Drive.
TCEQ and EPA monitor environmental impacts
Arcadis completed an environmental assessment, which is under review. The report establishes a baseline to measure impacts of the discharge. Trejo said the initial report found stressed vegetation along the river, but the analyst did not observe fish kills or wildlife impacts.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency have visited the area and went on a tour of relevant sites. "It was strictly for them to observe at this point in time," Trejo said.
Any fines or penalties will be assessed after the discharge ends. The next step is to develop the remediation plan.
The Public Service Board meeting can be viewed online.
The next meeting will be Jan. 12. The meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 8 a.m. at El Paso Water's main office, 1154 Hawkins Blvd., fourth floor boardroom.
Staff writer Martha Pskowski may be reached at mpskowski@elpasotimes.com and @psskow on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Water: Wastewater discharge in Rio Grande to flow into January
