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Is there an unusually high level of lithium in El Paso’s water supply?

By Diego Mendoza Moyers
YES

Average lithium concentrations in El Paso were 55 micrograms per liter from samples collected in July 2023 to January 2024 – about 42% higher than the average level of lithium detected across water utilities in Texas and New Mexico, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data shows.

An April 2024 EPA report shows that about 70% of water utilities in those states detected lithium in their water supplies. Lithium occurs naturally in the groundwater in dry areas of the western U.S. like El Paso that rely on groundwater and that were once ancient seabeds.

Lithium in El Paso’s drinking water is roughly 1,000 times less concentrated than lithium that’s used to treat mental disorders. El Paso Water’s CEO and an Arizona State University researcher said it would be prohibitively expensive to remove lithium from El Paso’s drinking water, with little public health benefit.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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El Paso Matters is a member-supported nonpartisan media organization that uses journalism to expand civic capacity in our region. We inform and engage with people in El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and neighboring communities to create solutions-driven conversations about complex issues shaping our region.
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