Here’s a story from El Diario this week detailing the challenges some homes in Juarez are having with water in their homes.
Meanwhile, residents of the affected sectors have confronted the water shortages in their homes by limiting cleaning activities at home and going out and bathing with family.
In Juarez, in some parts of the developments Praderas de los Oasis and in Los Ojitos, the water has been out since Saturday, and was on again barely midday yesterday [Tuesday].
This, and last week’s article in the Inc. about re-purposing treated sewage for home usage, highlights El Paso’s vulnerability to drought. The developers tell us that El Paso has plenty of water, but the Hueco Bolson doesn’t stop at the international border. Probably not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but eventually El Paso is going to run out of water.
Not that there’s a shortage of water in Juarez, either.
“Don’t worry, the water is not going to run out, but we also have to use the vital liquid responsibly, said [Fernando Uriarte Zarzueta, the president of JMAS, the Juarez water utility.]
Like John Balliew, the CEO and President of El Paso Water Utilities, said in the article last week,
“While their driving force is desperation,” Balliew said of Wichita Falls and other cities, “our driving force is diversification.”
Which means, I think, “We’re not drinking our own urine because we have to, we’re drinking it because we want to.” Some people call it diversification, and some people call it a good time on a Saturday night.
The problem is that our decision-makers confuse growth with progress. El Pasoans would be better off if our city fathers worked to make El Paso a better place, instead of just a bigger place.
Of course, they’re making enough money to fill the bathtub with Evian.