Desal Plt Bum Steer Award

December 1, 2008

Mr. Edmund G. Archuleta
El Paso Water Utilities
1154 Hawkins Blvd.
El Paso, Texas 79915

Dear Mr. Archuleta,

I am writing once again to request a copy of any document that gives El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board (PSB) the right to own and operate a desalination plant on Fort Bliss property and to export water from the base. This request was originally made on January 28, 2008. I would also like your permission to nominate the PSB and/or The Department of the Army (DOA) for a Texas Monthly 2009 bum steer award.

Fort Bliss produces and consumes an average of 4.5 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from a shrinking underground aquifer. DOA was reluctant to move more troops to Fort Bliss because an environmental impact study suggested that such action "will likely require purchase or development of new potable water sources."

PSB spent $100 Million to build a desalination plant and learning center on Fort Bliss property. They told DOA that the "plant will produce 27.5 MGD, Allowing Fort Bliss to keep existing wells in reserve as a strategic buffer." The 27.5 MGD desalination plant takes 12 MGD of fresh water from sixteen new wells on Fort Bliss and blends it with 15.5 MGD of salt water from wells outside the base. Fort Bliss uses 4.5 MGD and the rest is exported to the City of El Paso. Fort Bliss produces more fresh water now than it did before which means that the aquifer will shrink even faster.

This may be one of the most unique drilling scams in Texas history. At this point it appears that Fort Bliss is entitled to a bum steer award for allowing PSB to steal their water. But the story doesn't end here.

It seems that PSB forgot to get water rights from Fort Bliss before they spent $100 Million to build the plant. They also forgot to get a deed or a lease on the land where the plant is built. Fort Bliss owns the land. The plant can not be moved. Therefore Fort Bliss can refuse to give water rights to PSB and keep the $100 Million plant. In that case the PSB would receive the bum steer award.

The award will probably go to the PSB in case of a tie because they rewarded their president with $508,000 a year for getting them into this mess.

Sincerely,

Jimmy W. Janacek