EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Water is marking a major milestone as the city’s first wastewater facility is celebrating 100 years of service.
EPWater hosted a ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to honor plant employees, retirees, and the critical role of the facility for serving the El Paso community for an entire century.
EPWater says the Haskell R. Street Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently serving Central El Paso and Fort Bliss.
In its early years, the facility was known as the City Sewage Plant and was then referred to as the Delta Plant for its location on Delta Drive.
“The Haskell Plant is the oldest of the EPWater plants, and with the continued stewardship of the
plant operations, it is well suited for another century of service,” said EPWater President
and CEO, John Balliew. “This plant has been a workhorse for the utility.”
EPWater says the wastewater is cleaned and discharged to the Rio Grande to enhance the ecosystem when river water is not flowing, and the treated water is discharged to the American Canal to provide farmers downstream with irrigation water.
In 1974, the facility was renamed the Haskell R. Street Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility was renamed after the man who started his career as a chemist and retired in 1974 as the assistant general manager of El Paso Water, according to the utility.
“Haskell, who served 31 years, set the tone of innovation at EPWater by recognizing early on the need for water conservation, reuse and diversification of sources,” the utility said.
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