On February 27, El Paso Water officially broke ground on the $295 million Pure Water Center, a revolutionary water reuse facility in El Paso, Texas. According to a news release from Carollo Engineers, this facility will treat wastewater for direct reuse, creating a sustainable drinking water supply for the community.

The Pure Water Center will be the first direct-to-distribution water reuse facility in the United States, marking a significant milestone in water conservation. As cities across the country face increasing water scarcity, the adoption of water reuse technologies is expected to grow. Cities like Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, may soon follow El Paso's example as purification technology improves and water resources become even more limited.

The project is a partnership between Tempe, Arizona-based Sundt Construction and PCL, based in Edmonton, Alberta, with U.S. headquarters in Denver. The two companies have teamed up to build the innovative facility for El Paso Water. Carollo Engineers, based in Walnut Creek, California, is responsible for the facility’s design.

Formerly known as the Advanced Water Purification Facility, the newly named Pure Water Center will generate an additional 10 million gallons of drinking water per day for El Paso residents. This increase will contribute significantly to the city’s water supply, especially important as climate change and growing populations put further strain on water resources.

"After years of planning, design, and thousands of water-quality tests, we are excited to begin construction on the Pure Water Center," said El Paso Water President and CEO, John Balliew. "This is the next step in El Paso’s long history of water reuse, and we hope it will serve as a model for other communities facing water-related challenges."

The facility will source its water from the Roberto Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant. Once treated, the water will undergo a multi-step purification process that includes membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, UV light with advanced oxidation, granular activated carbon filtration, and chlorine disinfection. This process ensures that the water exceeds the high-quality standards required for drinking water.

El Paso Water worked closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for over a decade to ensure the safety and quality of the water produced at the facility. In late 2024, TCEQ granted final design approval, giving the green light for construction to proceed.

“We are excited to be part of this groundbreaking project, which not only provides a sustainable water source for our community but also serves as a model for other cities across the nation,” Balliew added.

The construction of the Pure Water Center is expected to be completed by 2028, and once finished, it will help El Paso secure a more reliable and sustainable water future.

The project is not only vital for El Paso but also for the broader conversation on water reuse as communities face ongoing water scarcity challenges. With climate change impacting global water availability, this facility could serve as a blueprint for future water reuse projects across the United States.

El Paso Water is leading the charge in water reuse, and the Pure Water Center represents a significant leap forward in addressing one of the most critical challenges facing urban communities today: water sustainability. As the world moves toward more sustainable practices, El Paso’s innovative approach may pave the way for more cities to invest in direct-to-distribution water reuse systems.