Improving Wastewater Quality And Reducing OPEX To Support Direct Potable Reuse (DPR)

Prolonged droughts and depleted groundwater levels has led El Paso Water (EPW) to develop alternative water sources. After decades operating successful non-potable and indirect potable reuse programs, the municipality will be among the firsts in the US to utilize direct potable reuse (DPR), passing secondary effluent from the Roberto Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant (RBWWTP) through an Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF), before redistributing it to consumers. To deploy a successful DPR program, wastewater entering the RBWWTP must comply with strict quality standards 24/7, no matter the source. Operators must be able to detect abnormal discharges to the network as they happen, and act to support wastewater stability.