In late July, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) ordered three Placitas drinking water systems, serving over 1,000 residents, to fix outstanding water quality violations, ranging from contamination risks to administrative failures like missing testing paperwork or public notices.
The North Ranchos De Placitas Water and Sanitation District, the Desert Sky Mountain Water Cooperative and the Anasazi Trails Water Cooperative water systems were among 138 water systems across New Mexico that received violation notices on July 29. The Placitas systems were given 15 days to resolve the issues or face fines of up to $1,000 per day.
“The civil enforcement letter was sent to public drinking water systems to move us towards improved compliance with health-related drinking water standards,” Jorge Armando Estrada, communications and public relations coordinator for the New Mexico Environment Department. “Two of the systems have addressed the issues that led to the civil enforcement letter, which is good news. The third system, run by an all volunteer board, is working diligently to adapt the treatment process to an alternative product that would address their violations of health standards.”
According to the NMED Enforcement Watch website, the North Ranchos De Placitas Water and Sanitation District, serving 592 residents, is fully in compliance and has addressed its violation for fecal coliform, or E. coli, contamination in its drinking water, since the violation occurred on July 18.
Anasazi Trails Water Cooperative, which serves 400 residents in the Anasazi Trails and Anasazi Meadows area of Placitas, received a violation notice for not addressing significant deficiencies identified in a 2022 sanitary survey conducted by the NMED Drinking Water Bureau. The cooperative has since complied with the necessary corrections.
Desert Sky Mountain Water Cooperative, serving 187 residents in the Desert Mountain area of Placitas, has yet to address two separate violations for exceeding the maximum contaminant level for arsenic. However, the cooperative is actively working to resolve these issues.
According to Source New Mexico, the letters are part of a strategy led by Bruce Baizel, the new director of the Compliance and Enforcement Division at the NMED. The list of all water systems that received the violation notices was also sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 office in Dallas, as well as the state auditor and attorney general’s offices.
When asked how to keep utilities from passing the fine onto customers, Baizel said water systems may not have to pay a full fine price, even if they fail to submit a plan, if they come to the negotiation table and settle for a smaller sum.
“Lawsuits take time and money,” Baizel said in the Source report. “Sometimes it’s better to be talking and getting it done sooner, so that the water is safe sooner – that’s worth something.”