President Joe Biden signed the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 into law Jan. 4, which includes $20 million in funding for improvements to Bernalillo’s wastewater treatment plant.
The Water Resources Development Act aims to strengthen the nation’s water resources infrastructure by funding projects that improve ports, harbors, inland waterways, and flood and storm protection. It authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address critical concerns such as ecosystem restoration, flood risk management, and navigation improvements. Congress reauthorizes the WRDA every two years to ensure continued support for these initiatives.
“In New Mexico, we know water is life, which is why my team and I have been fighting to increase funding for community water infrastructure through the Water Resources Development Act, signed into law this last week,” U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury said in a statement to the Signpost. “We are proud to have secured authorization for funding for the Bernalillo water treatment plant and the completion of an Estancia basin study that will be transformative for our communities and help fast-track federal funding and programs.”
The act funds New Mexico projects, including watershed management, sewer system improvements, ecosystem restoration and flood management. Key initiatives include a hydrologic study in the East Mountains, a $10 million upgrade to the Bosque Farms wastewater facility, and a wildfire prevention and wildlife restoration project in the Middle Rio Grande bosque.
A federal water infrastructure bill that passed the U.S. Senate on Dec. 18 and an amended version in the House on Dec. 10 authorized the measure.
“This includes $20 million for the Town of Bernalillo to modernize its wastewater treatment facilities which will support water quality through the Middle Rio Grande, and the completion of a hydrologic study for the Town of Estancia in the East Mountains that will model flood risks and unlock potential infrastructure funding opportunities far beyond water,” Stansbury said.”
The funding will be spent on a “total overhaul of the entire wastewater plant,” Mayor Jack Torres said. “It would, essentially, from my point of view, give us the equivalent of a brand-new plant.”
According to the 2021 Wastewater Treatment Plant Master Plan developed by Molzen Corbin, the Bernalillo treatment plant was built in 1960 and was fully overhauled in 1980. The plant underwent minor upgrades in 2002. A new plant was constructed in 2009 in response to capacity improvements identified in a 2004 report.
The master plan has identified several critical areas for improvement, including service life replacements, capacity upgrades, safety enhancements, deferred maintenance and equipment failures. The highest priority was replacing the UV disinfection equipment, with installing new technology for post-treatment aeration as the second-highest priority.
“These projects are critical to our communities and we are grateful for our exceptional local leaders and partners who have elevated these important projects,” Stansbury said.