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Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026

Fact check: Did freezing temperatures cause a major El Paso Water pipeline break?

Brandy Ruiz, El Paso Matters
no

A main water pipeline break that occurred in Northeast El Paso on Jan. 10, 2026, was caused by deterioration consistent with aging, not freezing temperatures, according to Gilbert Trejo, El Paso Water vice president of engineering, operations and technical services.

The pipeline break left about 38,000 customers without service until Jan. 14. A boil water notice was issued for affected customers as a precaution and later lifted as service was restored. Trejo said the pipe was over 50 years old. 

On average, much of the water infrastructure in Texas was installed in 1966, according to a 2022 Texas Rural Water Association survey of small to mid-sized rural water systems. The survey found the typical life expectancy of service lines is about 30 years.

Temperatures the night of the break remained around 39 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Weather Service, above the freezing threshold of 32 degrees.

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