Carnuel residents could see more relief from their water woes when Bernalillo County commissioners return from their summer break.
District 5 Commissioner Eric Olivas said he will introduce at the board’s Aug. 13 meeting a resolution authorizing $2 million for an application to the New Mexico Water Trust Board, which provides funding to help local governments improve their water systems.
Olivas said that money could unlock $10 million to $20 million in state money, which would be used for water and wastewater system improvements in the Carnuel area.
He said Carnuel doesn’t have a safe or reliable water supply, as the well levels are dropping, the aquifer is too shallow and drinking water supplies contain excessive nitrates. Also, he said, the area contains a patchwork of older and unconventional septic systems, and septic sewer runoff is mixing in with the water table.
Olivas said the county has already secured a combined $3.5 million in federal and state money for Carnuel water infrastructure upgrades, and that cash is already being put to work, with sewer improvements expected to break ground this fall.
“Things are happening right now,” he said. “This is about funding the future phases, so we can keep things going.”
The U.S. Geological Survey, part of the Department of the Interior, is undertaking a study of the groundwater around Carnuel. Olivas said the agency’s findings will help guide the county’s strategy for improving water quality in the area.
Olivas said it’s important that property owners get connected to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s network. He said some property owners may look at the sticker prices of connections and think it’s unaffordable, but there are substantial subsidies available to those with low or moderate incomes.
He said more households getting connected will increase the viability of the overall project.
Anyone interested in learning more about incentives for connecting may contact Olivas’ office by email at district5@bernco.gov.
The complete agenda for the meeting will be published by 4 p.m. Aug. 9, Olivas said. This will be the first commission meeting since June 25, as the body took its customary break for the month of July.
Get involved
WHEN: 5 p.m. Aug. 13
WHERE: Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers in BernalilloCounty@Alvarado Square, 415 Silver Ave SW
VIRTUAL: GOV-TV, on the county’s website or on Bernalillo County’s YouTube channel
I live in Edgewood area to the south where my water comes from a municipal well water company and the hard mineral is too high that it leaves a deep white layer after I boil a pan of water. I think the mineral deposists are too high for healthy consumption. Who is looking after it? The TDS measurment read close to 300 while the standards allows up to 500 which is a joke already!