What looks like a giant construction pit in Northeast El Paso is actually the city’s next big line of defense against flash floods. Heavy equipment is carving out a roughly 25-acre basin for Will Ruth Pond, a stormwater project designed to catch runoff racing down from the Franklin Mountains before it barrels into nearby streets and homes.
Engineers say the basin will be able to store more than 100 million gallons at full depth, which would make it the largest stormwater pond in El Paso Water’s history. The utility expects the excavation work, which is the first phase of the project, to wrap up this fall. Later phases will add the conveyance piping and other systems that move water into and out of the basin.
The project sits near Will Ruth Avenue and Threadgill Avenue and is intended to intercept mountain runoff before it reaches neighborhoods, according to KFOX. The station reports the footprint at about 25 acres, with capacity for more than 100 million gallons. Project staff told the station the basin is meant to reduce downstream flooding in one of Northeast El Paso’s most flood-prone areas.
Construction, Contractors And The First Work Package
El Paso Water’s Public Service Board packet and minutes show the utility has approved a Construction Manager At-Risk contract for Will Ruth Pond and accepted a guaranteed maximum price for the first work package, which covers demolition, excavation, and utility relocations. The documents list Jordan Foster Construction as the CMAR…