Settlement, Growth, and Water Security for Southwest Cities - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 450

management and planning have played a significant role in the effectiveness of securing
these water resources for the growth of the cities. However, regional hydrologic patterns,
geography, and climatic factors govern the sustainability of the locality.
26.6.1 El Paso Area
El Paso has relied on water from the Rio Grande and groundwater pumping as the
primary water sources. El Paso shares water withdrawals from the Hueco and Mesilla
bolsons (aquifers) with the City of Juarez, Mexico. The longevity of the underground aquifer
is tied to the hydrologic cycle of the Rio Grande River. With the current rate of water
mining from the watershed, a serious problem is on the horizon for the region. El Paso city
water managers are attempting to address the problem through the development of new
water resources, recovery, and reuse of treated wastewater and aggressive conservation
programs. By the 1990s, the Hueco Bolson aquifer was losing 3 ft annually, which created
an urgent need for the El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU) to find new sources of water. EPWU
responded by purchasing 202 ac of land near the Franklin Mountains to collect and
manage storm runoff. In addition, EPWU entered into an agreement with the Department
of Defense to construct the largest inland water desalination plants capable of producing
27.5 million gal of water a day (Figure 26.8). 5
26.6.2 Albuquerque
The city of Albuquerque relies primarily on ground and surface water reserves for the
municipal water supply from the Middle Rio Grande watershed. This aquifer is derived
from deep basin fill deposits about 14,000 ft in depth; only 2,000 ft of this constitutes
the aquifer system. The aquifer is an enclosed basin region surrounded by the Sandia,
Manzanita, Los Pinos, and Jemez Mountains. Currently, the Middle Rio Grande aquifer is
in danger of depletion due to excessive groundwater pumping. The Rio Grande River is
now experiencing periods of low or no low during the dry season.
FIGURE 26.8
El Paso water utilities desalination plant. (Courtesy of El Paso Water Utilities.)