Water Supply
El Paso's Water Comes from the Rio Grande and Two Underground Basins
El Paso Water serves hundreds of thousands of people using water from the Rio Grande and two large underground basins.
El Paso Water (EPWater) serves the El Paso metro area. It gets water from two main places. The first is the Rio Grande. The second is groundwater pumped from underground basins called the Hueco Bolson and the Mesilla Bolson. These basins lie beneath parts of Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
The Rio Grande only flows heavily part of the year. So El Paso leans heavily on groundwater. The city built desalination plants to treat the Hueco Bolson water. Desalination removes salty minerals and makes the water safe to drink. EPWater also pumps treated water back underground to help refill the aquifer. In this desert city, water is carefully managed and limited. Conservation is expected — and enforced.
Source to confirm: El Paso Water — Water Resources