Where: Canada de los Alamos, Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Problem: The small historic village lacks adequate water supply.
Solution: Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) provides technical assistance to help the community access funding.
Canada de los Alamos is a small historic village located approximately five miles southeast of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Canada de los Alamos Mutual Domestic Water Consumers and Mutual Sewage Works Association (MDWCA) was incorporated in 1957 and serves 25 members. For decades, the system has faced tremendous challenges due to water quality issues and aging infrastructure, but severe drought during the past several years poses an unprecedented threat to the community.
MDWCA dug two deep wells in 2003, which failed to produce adequate water and have since been shut down due to contamination and malfunction. The one remaining water source, an Infiltration Gallery which was dug in 1959, went dry in July 2020. Since then, the community has had to purchase and pay for water to be hauled in. Despite approving an emergency rate hike to cover costs, hauling water will soon be unsustainable as diesel prices continue to rise. The community has adopted excellent conservation practices having faced uncertain water supply for so long. However, even extreme conservation will not ensure that the community has enough water to meet its drinking and sanitation needs.
The MCWCA Board has been diligent and aggressive in seeking funding and planning for two water sources: a local well and a future connection to Santa Fe County water. The Board has also spent time educating its members on the problem, water conservation and the solutions they are pursuing.
RCAC staff provided technical assistance for several years to search for funding for the two water sources and to submit multiple funding applications, both for short-term financial assistance to haul water, and for long-term funding for the new well.
The new well is expected to be complete in September 2023.
For more information, contact:
Ari Neumann, Director, Community & Environmental Services
(916) 447-9832; 1032
aneumann@rcac.org
