Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
CLOVIS — More federal dollars are on their way for the Ute Water Project.
The Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority (ENMWUA) has received notice from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) regarding the second round of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
According to a news release from ENMWUA, the federal FY2023 appropriation is in the amount of $89.5 million for use in the construction of the Ute pipeline. ENMWUA will receive an additional $4.63 million from FY2023 administration and congressional funding. The total FY2023 federal funding for the project is $94.14 million.
The news release reports the FY2023 funding will add to advancing the construction of the pipeline project.
Last year’s federal funding allocated to the project was $177.4 million.
The report said ENMWUA Chairman and Clovis Mayor Mike Morris said of the second year of Infrastructure funding, “This will keep the project on schedule for completion within the end of the decade.
Board Vice Chairman and Portales Mayor Ron Jackson said, “This is great news as this funding is critical to the ENMWUA in completing this project. We are making good progress.”
The news release reports funding percentages of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System (ENMRWS) are 75% federal, 15% state, and 10% ENMWUA membership.
The ENMRWS is a regional rural water supply project in east-central New Mexico federally authorized in 2009. The purpose of the project is to provide potable water to four city member agencies and Cannon Air Force Base for municipal, commercial, and industrial use from a renewable surface water supply at Ute Reservoir.