Rio Grande Trails & Tales

Take an educational tour where El Paso Water turns Rio Grande River water into drinkable water. The W.E. Robertson Water Treatment Plant was completed in 1943 to serve a population of 107,000. The plant was expanded in 1949, and in 1967 the Elwood J. Umbenhauer Plant was constructed. Together, these two plants are called the Canal Street Water Treatment Plant and provide 40 million gallons of water per day. In 2004, more renovations were completed to include the installation of an Ultraviolet Light Disinfection system.

You will also learn about the Art Deco architecture of the original Robertson plant designed by Headman, Ferguson and Carollo of Phoenix. Work on the W.E. Robertson Water Treatment Plant, dubbed the Canal plant by locals, was completed by building contractor R.E. McKee in November 1943.

After the tour, you can enjoy a drive through of the historic Chihuahuita neighborhood adjacent to the plant. This small, tight-knit community sits in the shadow of a U.S. port of entry that connects Downtown El Paso and Juárez, Mexico. At one point, the neighborhood belonged to Mexico. The crush of homes and businesses along the Rio Grande became a refuge for families fleeing the violence of the Mexican Revolution. And from there, El Pasoans would climb rooftops to watch and hear skirmishes between federal troops and famous rebels.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT BY TUESDAY APRIL 30TH.