New Mexico Environment Department Issues Report Highlighting Systematic Failures At Camino Real Regional Utility Authority In Sundland Park

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on January 13, 2024
- 11:13 am

Camino Real Regional Utility Authority(CRRUA) offices at 4950 McNutt Road in Sunland Park where NMED issued a multi-day ‘Do not drink’ order for several issues including failure to fully investigate complaints from customers experiencing ‘slimy water’ . Courtesy image

NMED News:

DOÑA ANA COUNTY — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) released a report by the Drinking Water Bureau (DWB) Friday on the systematic failures by management of the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) that lead to the issuance of a multi-day “Do not drink” order from Dec. 1 to Dec. 6, 2023, for customers in Santa Teresa and Sunland Park.

NMED initiated the investigation into CRRUA after learning from a customer that the system delivered water that had an extremely high pH, an occurrence that is uncommon.

The report identified several key failures by CRRUA management and staff including:

A pH sensor malfunction and several operational failures by CRRUA staff led to caustic soda being overfed into the treatment process, causing the elevated pH levels within the distribution system;
CRRUA staff failed to fully investigate complaints from customers that were experiencing “slimy water” as early as Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, four days prior to the issuance of the “Do not drink” order;
CRRUA staff failed to calibrate the pH probes and sensor and observe erratic readings for finished water pH that started as early as Nov. 21, 2023; and
During the investigation, it was established that facilities used to treat for arsenic had been offline periodically over the past year and the system failed to notify customers and NMED.

“The legal and moral obligation of every water utility in New Mexico is to provide drinking water that meets standards to their customers, and that obligation is 24 hours per day, 7 days a week,” Water Protection Division Director John Rhoderic said. “CRRUA repeatedly failed to follow basic protocols in water management, implement safeguards to ensure compliance, and inform their customers when they fell short.”

“While many of New Mexico’s water utilities face challenges from lack of staff, funding, and the changing climate, our investigation identified that CRRUA failed at multiple levels and showed a disregard for operating under basic state and federal regulations,” Drinking Water Bureau Chief Joe Martinez said. “CRRUA’s customers deserve access to clean, safe water that meets standards and to know when that is not happening.”

DWB issued seven Notices of Violation (NOVs) to CRRUA in 2023, including four in December. Of those, only one of the NOVs has been resolved to date. DWB anticipates taking additional enforcement action following the release of this investigation.

CRRUA has received more than $13.6 Million in loans and grants for water and wastewater projects from the State since 2012.

View the full CRRUA investigation report here.

About NMED’s Drinking Water Bureau:

NMED’s Drinking Water Bureau protects public health by providing regulatory oversight of New Mexico’s nearly 1,100 public drinking water systems. DWB oversees public water systems and provides technical, managerial, and financial assistance to ensure protection of public health and safe and sustainable drinking water for New Mexicans. DWB staff will continue working with CRRUA management and staff to get the system into compliance and sustain that status in the future.