Officials, residents discuss water solutions

Water levels are dropping across the High Plains Aquifer, and across eastern New Mexico.

But for some residents south of Clovis, levels can’t drop any lower; the well has literally run dry.

About three dozen people packed the Eastern Plains Council of Governments office for the first of what looks to be several meetings about rural water difficulties. Residents aired their problems, while elected officials noted the state’s anti-donation clause prevents them from directly helping a handful of private citizens.

At the conclusion of the meeting, citizens recognized the need to start forming independent water associations and co-ops, which could provide eligibility for grants and low-interest loans they wouldn’t qualify for as private citizens.

Citizens who addressed the body included:

• Rosemary Metcalf, whose well is at 10 feet. She said the family takes “military showers,” only flushes when necessary. “We try to conserve what we can, but it’s not going to last.”

• Cecilia Duran, whose family has had to give away dozens of farm animals because they can’t take care of them with their lack of water.

• Jasmine Garcia, who moved back home from Lubbock to help her family with its water issues. “Every day we carry 10 5-pound buckets, and sometimes twice a day,” with water from an in-town relative.

• Robbie Gibbs, whose house ran out of water four months after she bought a house. She keeps a pair of 3,000-gallon tanks on the property, but said, “I’ve got to do laundry in town, take showers at my sister’s.”

• Vance Dewbre, who said his water table has dropped 45 feet in the last 28 years.

Adrian Chavez of Voices of New Mexico — which helped organize the meeting — asked how many households were out of water, and four hands raised. Another three raised hands when he asked how many were low enough to be concerned.

Many of the residents are less than two miles from water delivery lines from EPCOR Water, a private company that delivers the city’s municipal water, but cannot individually afford the costs to tap into the EPCOR system.

Metcalf remembered that in 2010, residents were having similar problems and a $500,000 Community Block Development Grant was floated to help the citizens. Curry County Commission Chairman Wendel Bostwick said it was shot down because it violated the anti-donation clause.

Metcalf said the residents didn’t know how to handle the matter on their own.

“We don’t know how to apply for grants, or how to form a water co-op,” Metcalf said. “We need some guidance from our county leaders.”

Bostwick said a co-op could be set up within 60 days, while Commission Vice Chair Chet Spear said it could be much quicker.

Spear said affected citizens who want to create a co-op or water association need to meet as a group, elect an officer body (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary), go to the Public Regulation Commission website and get an application and pay a $15 filing fee. He noted that depending on locations and circumstances of residents, more than one co-op could be needed.

“We can’t do it (for you as a government entity),” Spear said. “I wish we could. But I’m here to show you the way to do it.”

Spear invited Mark Myers to the meeting to bring up the possibility of a water delivery service. Myers has some of the infrastructure already through a family trucking business, and would give residents an estimate of how much delivery would cost.

“If it is financially feasible, I’m interested,” Myers said. “But if it’s just 10 families, that wouldn’t work.”

Josefita Griego asked if there was a number where he could commit. Myers said a ballpark figure was difficult without knowing routes, the number of customers, the water needed and how much each person could reasonably spend.

Gayla Brumfield, chair of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority, updated residents on the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System. She was optimistic of a groundbreaking for the interim pipeline phase — creation of local pipelines that would eventually deliver water from the Ute Reservoir in Quay County, but be used by local entities in the interim phase before the entire system is connected.

“Is it going to address your needs next week? No,” Brumfield said. “But the next phase could be very beneficial to what you’re doing. We are probably 15 years from having (the water system) complete if funding comes.”