EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- El Paso County, in partnership with the Lower Valley Water District, will hold their groundbreaking ceremony today on a significant infrastructure project aimed at enhancing water and sewer services in neighborhoods in the Lower Valley’s historic Colonias.
The project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), designed to address urgent public health needs. It targets three neighborhoods: Panorama Village, Angel Park and Athena West. These areas have been without proper sewer connections for decades, relying on outdated septic systems that pose significant, serious health risks.
“This is a very big deal for our community, County Commissioner Iliana Holguin told ABC-7. “Unfortunately, here in El Paso County, we still have a lot of neighborhoods who don't have a connection to basic water and wastewater sewer services.”
The county received the federal funds in October 2022 and has since been working on the design and environmental study phases. Despite challenges such as labor shortages and rising costs, Commissioner Holguin says they project construction to completed by the end of the year.
Residents in these neighborhoods have long awaited this development. A 2018 study by a University of Texas at El Paso professor found that 32,000 people in El Paso County lacked sewer service, leading to complaints about odors and other septic system issues. The project promises a sanitary, clean and efficient way to dispose of waste.
“These projects really are life-changing for these neighborhoods,” Holguin said. “Many of us that live within the city limits of El Paso take some of these basic infrastructure services for granted.”
Holguin also adds that the county has more projects under the federal fund coming in the near future to continue improving water and wastewater services for underserved areas.
The groundbreaking ceremony will start at 9:00 a.m. behind the Lower Valley Water District (1557 FM 1110, Clint, TX 79836).
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