West El Paso homeowners are the latest to find a misleading "water notice" taped to their front doors urging them to call a number.
The message in English calls it a routine check-up safety protocol and please call ASAP. The wording on the flyer in Spanish is more urgent: "informacion muy importante acerca de su agua" saying it's very important information about your water.
I called the number and was told it's about water quality and the man asked if I was aware E-coli was detected in the Lower Valley. When I continued to ask what he was selling? The man hung up.
I called back and asked for someone in Spanish and got the same story about E-coli detected in the Lower Valley and this man said he was with "water quality and providing a free public service at home."
The notices are not from El Paso Water and the E-coli mentioned by both men refers to an issue in November involving a test by El Paso water that detected E-coli in a raw sample of a well in the Lower Valley. That well was removed from service and treated. It did not pose a public health threat since all water is treated before entering the distribution system.
Communications and Marketing manager for El Paso Water Christina Montoya calls the flyers "misleading" and "unethical". In this KTEP News in-depth interview, Montoya offers tips for verifying information is from El Paso Water and explains when and how the water utility notifies customers of any problems. The segment also includes voices of the men answering the phone number on the flyers and offering at home water quality testing. Montoya says they are likely selling a water filtration system.
