Albuquerque is launching construction on three new water projects, including two new aquifers. Officials said the aquifers will triple the city’s one-billion-gallon supply.
The projects come as the Rio Grande faces dry conditions, limiting the region’s available water resources. Meanwhile, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority cannot replenish its aquifer storage reserves.
The aquifer storage and recovery facility stores water when the system can save it and pumps it back out when needed.
“It’s a giant sandbox. The best way to think about it, we are standing on a ginormous sandbox that extends from Cochiti all the way down to Socorro, and that sandbox has been filled with water,” said Diane Agnew of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority.
The 3,000-acre well currently holds one billion gallons of water. Plans to develop two new aquifers will triple the city’s water storage capacity.
“We’re looking out 10, 20, even 100 years to make sure we have water for our customers and our families and our grandchildren,” Agnew said via KOB 4.
New Facility to Expand Water Reuse Capacity
Across town, crews are preparing an empty lot near Bosque School for a new water reclamation facility.
“It creates critical infrastructure to relieve wastewater demand on the west side. We’ll treat it, and then we will be taking that water and releasing it to the river, similar to what we do at our south side reclamation plant. The difference this plant is, it’s going to be treated to a level where we could reuse the water for other things,” Agnew said.
Agnew said the site currently sits as a dirt lot, but crews will transform it into a large, windowless building.
“We need to increase our reuse capacity across the service areas so that we’re using more reuse water for turf irrigation of golf courses and parks, and less potable water. So that means more drinking water for our customers,” said Agnew.
To learn more about the water reclamation facility, attend the public meeting on September 1. The meeting will also give you a chance to share your views with the Water Authority.
