Water_Consumption_Patterns_in_El

An Economic Development Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Water in the Paso del Norte Region Water Consumption Patterns in El Paso

Prepared by: Nat Campos, Director and Jesse Acosta

Department of Planning, Research and Development

City of El Paso

June 1997

The following report was prepared as part of a project called "An Economic Development Strategy for the Sustainable Use of Water in the Paso del Norte Region," funding for which was provided, in part, by the U. S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA). The statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and other data in this report are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration.

Regional growth in the El Paso/Las Cruces/Juarez, now exceeding two million people and growing at an estimated 2.5 % per year, is highly dependent on an adequate supply of drinking water. The supply of water for the El Paso/Juárez region comes primarily from two aquifers known as the Hueco Bolson and the Mesilla Bolson. To a lesser extent but growing over time, El Paso also depends on controlled water flows from Elephant Butte Reservoir via the Rio Grande River. The majority of the fresh water for El Paso and Ciudad Juárez however, comes from the Hueco Bolson. Our analysis shows that mining of water from both bolsons for El Paso alone has increased from 31.0 billion gallons in 1981 to 40.4 billion gallons in 1994 (Table 1), averaging consumption rates of 1.8% to 2.5% per year. It also shows that industrial utilization of water has increased from 890 million gallons in 1980 to 3.1 billion gallons in 1994. Such remarkable increase, however, is partly due to reclassification of the customer base in 1991 to more accurately reflect commercial users.. Industrial uses account for approximately 10% of the total water consumed in El Paso. Commercial uses of water in El Paso account for approximately 13%. It is evident that with an annual rainfall of less than 7 inches per year in the El Paso/Juárez area and given growth rates of extraction of water averaging 1.8% to 2.5 % per year, the capacity of rainwater and river water to recharge the bolson cannot keep up with demand.

Table 1: Water Consumption -- El Paso Water Utilities Service Area

Although the quantity of water remaining in the Bolson is difficult to establish, two things are very clear, that the quality of water being pumped out of the Hueco Bolson continues to deteriorate and the treatment required will increase the cost and/or decrease the quality of water delivered to the population at large. It is also clear that continued physical growth in the region will continue to deplete non-renewable water resources such as the Hueco Bolson and the Mesilla Bolson placing greater dependence on water flowing in the Rio Grande. Given that the Rio Grande is the only vessel which enjoys renewable water resources, the issues at hand dwell on the quality and quantity of water in the river and the determination as to where, when, and how to achieve a balance between water consumption and the region's expectations of growth. In a nutshell, growth in the region must be balanced with the ability of the area to renew and keep a balance between recharge and withdrawals of water. Management of such growth and protection and enhancement of the quality and quantity of surface water runoff that flows from the urbanized areas into the aquifer recharge zones and/or the Rio Grande river bed are a responsibility that will require adherence to responsible land development policies through inter-agency cooperation within the city of El Paso and throughout the El Paso/Las Cruces/Juárez region.

In response to these objectives the Department of Planning has developed and made available to UTEP’s Center for Environmental Resource Management (CERM) detailed digital base maps with separate coverages showing the relationship of various land uses, zoning categories, and subdivision development patterns on flood zone areas and on surface water drainage features. This work enables CERM and other users to analyze or model water quantity and quality issues as these are impacted by urban growth patterns and surface water runoff. In like manner, the Department of Planning has developed and is now using state-of-the-art computer systems to track real estate developments and assess the impact such development has on housing and population, and consequently on the use of water in the region.

As part of the Department of Planning’s commitment to the creation of an economic development strategy for the sustainable use of surface water in the region, following are three maps showing residential water consumption, commercial water use, and industrial water consumption by account area. An additional map showing the relationship of water account zones to census tracts also follows. The purpose of the latter is to enable to see relationships between population, housing types, income, etc. and the use of water in El Paso.

Table 2: Total Water Consumption -- January through June, 1996