The first direct potable reuse plant in the world opened in 1968 in Namibia, southern Africa’s driest country. The New Goreangab Wastewater Reclamation Plant replaced the original facility in 2002. The technology is poised to grow in the U.S. as southwestern states contend with aridification and growing populations.

When it opens in 2028, the advanced filtration plant will supply 10 million gallons a day, the first in the country to convert wastewater directly into drinking water.

Virtual tour shows renderings of El Paso Water plant that will turn wastewater into drinking water. El Paso Water. El Paso unsolved homicides: Man killed in shooting at apartment

A "security concern" prompted a flight headed to Mexico from the Minneapolis region to divert to El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, officials said.