$20 million drinking water and wastewater projects in Vinton, Texas, break ground

Written By: El Paso Times

Date: January 28, 2022

$20 million drinking water and wastewater projects in Vinton, Texas, break ground cover image

The Village of Vinton is in northwest El Paso County. The Village previously ran on private water systems and utilized septic systems. The Village started applying for funding in 1998 to improve the water system and have a centralized wastewater collection system. The long-awaited project designed by Parkhill will be completed in four phases and will increase safety and reliability for the citizens of the Village of Vinton.

From El Paso Times

EL PASO, Texas -- The village of Vinton, Texas, is one step closer to having public drinking water and wastewater collection. 

The village broke ground Thursday on Phase II of a new drinking water and wastewater system that will increase reliability and reduce public health risks.

The North American Development Bank (NADB), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) are funding the two projects, which will cost an estimated $20.44 million. These partners, along with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso), joined the groundbreaking Thursday afternoon in Vinton, a village of more than 2,000 people, 25 miles north of downtown El Paso.

The project will provide access to safe and reliable drinking water from the El Paso Water system for 360 households, eliminating exposure to arsenic and pathogens from private wells and water suppliers. The wastewater project will provide first-time services to 506 homes that now rely on septic tanks. Vinton is one of many communities near the U.S.-Mexico border with inadequate access to drinking water and safe sewage disposal. 

"The project before us is more than just pipelines and pump stations," said Vinton Mayor Manny Leos. "I see it in a broader context ... as an important part of the growth and the sustainment of our community and taking us to the next level in economic development."

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