MOSQUITO CONTROL

El Paso City Code tit. 9, ch. 9.24

in effect

El Paso City Code § 9.24.010 Unlawful collections of water—Declared nuisances.

9.24.010 - Unlawful collections of water—Declared nuisances. It is unlawful for the occupant or owner of any premises in the city or within five thousand feet of the corporate limits thereof, or the agent of the owner, if the owner is a nonresident or absent from the city, to cause, suffer or permit any collection of standing or flowing water in which mosquitoes breed or are likely to breed on such premises, unless such collection of water is treated in the manner prescribed by the director of the department of environmental services or his duly authorized representative, so as to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, and any such collection of water so unlawfully maintained is declared to be a nuisance. (Ord. 16812 § 19 (part), 2007; prior code § 12-44)

El Paso City Code § 9.24.020 Unlawful collections of water—Examples.

9.24.020 - Unlawful collections of water—Examples. The collections of water included within the terms of this chapter are those which are contained in ditches, ponds, pools, excavations, holes, depressions, cesspools, privy vaults, fountains, basements, cisterns, tanks, shallow wells, barrels, troughs (except horse troughs in frequent use), urns, cans, boxes, bottles, tubs, buckets, defective house roof gutters, tanks or flush closets or other similar places where water accumulates. (Prior code § 12-43)

El Paso City Code § 9.24.030 Unlawful collections of water—Treatment methods.

9.24.030 - Unlawful collections of water—Treatment methods. The methods of treatment of any unlawful collections of water for the purpose of preventing the breeding of mosquitoes shall be approved by the director of the department of environmental services or his duly authorized representative and may be one or more of the following: A. Screening with wire netting of at least sixteen meshes to the inch each way or any other material which will effectually prevent the ingress or egress of mosquitoes; B. Complete emptying every four days of unscreened containers together with their thorough drying or cleaning; C. Using an approved larvacide; D. Covering completely the surface water with kerosene, petroleum or paraffin oil every four days; E. Cleaning and keeping sufficiently free of vegetable growth and other obstructions and stocking with mosquito destroying fish; absence of half-grown mosquito larvae to be evidence of compliance with this measure; F. Filling or draining to the satisfaction of the director of the department of environmental services or his duly authorized representative; G. Proper disposal of tin cans, tin boxes, broken or empty bottles and similar articles likely to hold water; H. Proper irrigation management of tracts of land and farm land so water does not stand in sufficient depth for a period of time that would result in hatch out of adult mosquitoes. (Ord. 16812 § 19 (part), 2007; prior code § 12-45)

El Paso City Code § 9.24.040 Enforcement.

9.24.040 - Enforcement. Whenever necessary to make an inspection to enforce any of the provisions of this chapter, the director of the department of environmental services or his authorized representative may enter any building or premises at all reasonable times to inspect the same or to perform any duty imposed upon the director of the department of environmental services by this chapter; provided, that if such building or premises be occupied, he shall first present proper credentials and request entry; and if such building or premises is unoccupied, he shall first make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other persons having charge or control of the building or premises and request entry. If such entry is refused, the director of the department of environmental services or his authorized representative shall have recourse to every remedy provided by law to secure entry. When the director of the department of environmental services or his authorized representative shall have first obtained a proper inspection warrant or other remedy provided by law to secure entry, no owner or occupant or any other persons having charge, care or control of any building or premises shall fail or neglect, after proper request is made as herein provided, to promptly permit entry therein by the director of the department of environmental services or his authorized representative for the purpose of inspection and examination pursuant to this chapter. (Ord. 16812 § 19 (part), 2007; prior code § 12-42)

El Paso City Code § 9.24.050 Violation—Penalty.

9.24.050 - Violation—Penalty. If any person responsible under the terms of this chapter for the existence of any condition which gives rise to the breeding of mosquitoes, refuses to take all necessary measures directed by the director of the department of environmental services of the city or his duly authorized representative to prevent the same in accordance with the terms hereof within three days after notice from the director of the department of environmental services or his duly authorized representative to do so, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine not to exceed two thousand dollars, and each day's failure or refusal to remedy such conditions after the expiration of such time shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Ord. 16812 § 19 (part), 2007; Ord. 9431 § 6, 1988: prior code § 12-46)

Source: City of El Paso, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/el_paso/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT9HESA_CH9.24MOCOFetched: 10/28/2026