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Blue Water Droplets
CAMPAIGN STATUS:  Rates will increase by 12%    DECISION HOLDER: El Paso Public Service Board

El Paso Water Utility announces water price increase for residents

What is the issue?

El Paso Water Utility (EPWU) is owned by the City of El Paso.  It has a board called the Public Service Board (PSB).  The Mayor of the City of El Paso is a member of the PSB.  EPWU raised prices for residents in March of 2025.  They want to raise prices again in March 2026.​

Why does it matter?

EPWU knows that every time they raise prices, people save water.  However, many of us are at the point where we cannot save any more water, and yet, we will have to pay more for what we use.  Meanwhile, large commercial and industrial users who can afford to pay for the water, are using more and more water.  El Paso Electric, for instance, is the number one user of water.  

Who decides and when?

The El Paso Water Utility voted to increase the residential rates by 12% on:


Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the El Paso Water Main Office.


El Paso Water Main Office, Board Room - 4th floor

1154 Hawkins Blvd.

El Paso, TX 79925

What did we do?

TOOK ACTION!

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We asked the El Paso community to raise their voices by doing one of the following:

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1. Go to the hearing and sign up before it begins at 8:30 a.m.

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2. What we want from the PSB/EPWU

  • Do not raise rates (prices) for residents again

  • Do not enter into the contract with the META Data Center (US54 and Stan Roberts)

  • Push industrial and large commercial users to save water so that residents don’t have to pay to import water

  • Use our money to make preventative repairs

  • Use our money to provide residents with affordable, safe, and reliable water

  • Use our money to respond to emergencies quickly

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3. If you are not able to go to the hearing, email the PSB Board members:

What happened?

Sembrando Esperanza Coalition turned in 412 signatures opposing the increase of the price of water.  We also asked for the things we listed above.  The hearing room was packed.  A person who had been without water for 4 days due to the line break that left 100,000 El Pasoans without safe drinking water was arrested for trying to speak up. The Public Service Board voted 5-2 to increase our rates.  Mayor Renard Johnson stood with us. 

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The average monthly water bill will increase by $10 or 12% ($82 to $92). EPWU staff kept saying that the low water users will see a lower increase of $5.81 and the lowest users will see an increase of $4.07 per month. They refused to recognize the sacrifices that people who are poor or struggling make in order to save water, like not turning on their swamp coolers even in record heat.
 

What do we do now?

If you or someone you know is saving water but at a great personal sacrifice, we want to hear from you. 


Join our fight against El Paso Electric’s proposed new power plant of 366 MW for the META data center because it will consume a lot of water.  Remember, less water means that we, the residents, have to continue paying for water projects (desalination, making sewage water into drinkable water, importing water). 
Join our fight against the META data center.

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We will hold El Paso Water accountable.  We will be reviewing the analysis that they will release about the water break on January 11, 2026 which left a family without a home and resulted in the death of 2 of their dogs; left 100,000 people without drinkable water for days; and caused the loss of 15 million gallons of water. 
 

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