[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6025457,"mediaKeyId","5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662","parentId",5755099,"title","Facility manager outlines equipment deliveries, operator incentives and hiring steps","audioSeconds",149,"startMs",669000,"endMs",818000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662&start=669&end=818","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662/thumbnail_669000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6025457/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Facility-manager-outlines-equipment-deliveries-operator-incentives-and-hiring-steps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025457-410aaf2419024d1af258acec429290ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855772&Signature=TANFhz~u9PrbMccWKSJ38OqQfyfIYiCnlA0EuqaWA2CHxp05JImLjSc4AY3n1TZgOFKprBnDz2nkswNhFkF7hzGcS5X5ZoIwzpGcFspI2e06n~O3Y77T-~4EsczoOCOrczGqWV20pig54lh-qB-AMMKaQYGT1LcGXdP8wWySL6ajHbVLjt61jMqxzNQ2UJKpGzvySlKaSRJu3lJ4PVG-UhOOJNh1LAyYhl8kCnR3UJW~AboYT9T9EujVnwum3gMW5zKIQabUSQZlcvttD6KAwnOh03Q-DwE0zjrdBtBerBEgwBzEUQ-rnG4K7nQaueuXJ8uiJoLyp0pSA18hCOtGNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Santa Fe, NM","date","2025-09-05T10:41:55Z","article","Brad Prada, the Buckman Direct Diversion facility manager, presented the board with an August facilities update Sept. 4 outlining forthcoming equipment deliveries, planned capital purchases and personnel‑policy steps intended to retain certified operators.
Prada told the board the new front‑end loader is scheduled to arrive Oct. 31 and that staff are processing purchase orders for a programmable logic controller cyclical replacement, a new fleet vehicle, a raw‑water pump rebuild, and a new variable‑frequency drive for the 2A pumps. “It's scheduled to arrive on October 31,” Prada said of the loader.
On staffing, Prada described two retention initiatives the board will pilot: a financial incentive program tied to operator certification levels and an expansion of pay bands to make positions more competitive with neighboring utilities. Prada said funding for the incentive pilot will come from salary savings in the current budget because the positions are currently vacant. “We're right now, we're pulling it from salary savings,” Prada said.
Board members asked about training and regional collaboration. Chair Justin Green and others encouraged partnerships with Santa Fe County and Santa Fe Community College’s ProTech program; Prada welcomed referrals for training partners. A board member also suggested recruiting and training tribal members given hiring requirements for the Milwaukee Basin Regional Water System; Prada and others supported regional collaboration to expand the local pipeline of qualified operators.
Prada said work on the design‑build rebuild project continues with AECOM, Whitewater Engineering and legal counsel and that the design‑build team recently began the next phase of the project.
Discussion only: the report described planned purchases and personnel strategies and did not include any board votes. Direction: staff will proceed with procurement and with the pilot incentive funded from salary savings and continue coordination with city HR and regional partners. Formal action: none required at this meeting.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BDD Board Meeting 2-4-2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Sept. 4 meeting facility manager Brad Prada reported new equipment delivery dates, several planned purchases and a pilot incentive program for certified operators funded from salary savings to improve recruitment and retention.","taxTitle","Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico","taxId",2727,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6025461,"Buckman reports August production; wells used more as rivers ran turbid",450,210000,660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662&start=210&end=660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662/thumbnail_210000.jpg","/articles/6025461/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Buckman-reports-August-production-wells-used-more-as-rivers-ran-turbid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025461-81164b00216c40c9ec3f9726979ce74a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855772&Signature=Tqb~yxKxGFmUYlM8nZ~i5Dnyzp-oJS1w9LJNdOK6DRH-G6ltN~jgW-Ud3EoiQA8BZUsMbq9SVK5i99qI9YkTAJvVpqzyem1ucmHPHVD~lb7rwflxTGZmJ0wWSC21sH2EkZpeWRGDMdpScLkeWHYBKNZAXXU0VVpwILvC-asiLFE0gDNtHclzpZ1wgZ037un2kZebghN69lajHGrqWNIMYabkcf0BZU7cQyFg9l3p9zEHmBpqwLa4D2eopWOK8dFhXhOa4rQwj8WL4QGMLLwgW4qnSJU8AVm66YyDQX7Kjctyk5HmBbM6pQF4qHsLVfx8qceE7eEpSD5piPGA47L4yA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Buckman Direct Diversion Board received its August 2025 operations report Sept. 4 showing average daily diversions and deliveries and an increased share of groundwater use this year.
Matt (operations presenter) reported raw water diversions averaged 5,260,000 gallons per day in August; drinking water deliveries through Booster Stations 4A and 5A averaged 4,570,000 gallons per day; raw water delivered to Las Campanas at Booster Station 2A averaged 860,000 gallons per day. He said Buckman contributed 35.3% of the region’s water for August 2025.
Board discussion with Director Roach and operators focused on why well production rose this year. Roach and other staff said unusually wet weather since May and operations at the Canyon Road Water Treatment Plant reduced the need to divert Rio Grande water for part of the year, while turbidity during storms has at times forced temporary shutdowns and increased reliance on wells. Roach said San Juan Chama allocations received in May–July totaled 31% for the year to date, with no expectation of additional allocation (he noted recent rains could change that and he was not fully up to date).
Staff explained that the system has aimed for roughly 20% of annual production from wells and 80% from rivers in recent years; this year wells have supplied about 25% of demand, partly because Canyon Road capacity was limited by the Nichols construction project. Roach gave a rough estimate that 25% of a total regional demand of about 9,000 acre‑feet equates to roughly 2,000–3,000 acre‑feet of groundwater used so far this year.
Operators also reported temporary shutdowns because of very high turbidity during recent storms; one shutdown lasted about a day and a half. Board members stressed that exercising wells periodically is operationally useful so staff know they function when needed.
Discussion only: report and Q&A; no formal board action was taken on operations figures. The report provides the board with data to inform upcoming operational planning and the MOU negotiations about canyon sampling and ENS performance.","At the Sept. 4 meeting, staff reported August diversions and deliveries, said BDD supplied 35.3% of the region's water in August 2025, and explained the board used groundwater wells more this year (about 25% of supply) because of turbidity and construction impacts at Canyon Road.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6025465,"Buckman board updates MOU talks with Los Alamos, seeks October draft",876,1125000,2001000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662&start=1125&end=2001","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5755099-136b96dedda7188fbe8821184befe662/thumbnail_1125000.jpg","/articles/6025465/Santa-Fe/Santa-Fe-County/New-Mexico/Buckman-board-updates-MOU-talks-with-Los-Alamos-seeks-October-draft","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6025465-2ee44b1f8407b0f7bf818940c8f2d49c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770855772&Signature=Wf688g4lWeTqRCZ6Lcjp9eS-OMDLSpChOeTqyM4t5mmHk8PkkLAP6pIXzZqajYAARGlu5ZMe0gNxSxkbcvsvXbOff-jfK9~Ok~2cg8R7uWU0X5aZu5wSmJmL59VGD3tXMJaTKSrCGo44A4~7S4F-jaKiZS7pAQKQiFeHDWcThJarCfLBsUnskqSFWa5-0giWj5yQy0-W9gRlN1qzzpjjWgX8n7SIBT338rLO6ilGje5~GOdykNKeJmE1ob3nx7xCggg7cJP1u8rpT2eK~mO~eP0VKrz~ZmsiCKFy8olQ6XXbx8q9xXrp43trt3OfP2UpJe69Xfp7N5beC~VhKa54HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Buckman Direct Diversion Board heard a verbal update Sept. 4 on negotiations for a new memorandum of understanding with Los Alamos National Laboratory and U.S. Department of Energy oversight officials to formalize early-notification system (ENS) procedures and funding for Rio Grande sampling.
The board was told the parties have held recent technical meetings with LANL subcontractors and DOE oversight staff and that staff hope to return with a proposed MOU for board consideration at the Oct. 2 meeting.
Board chair Justin Green said the board wants the work finished promptly; board staff and negotiators described a multi-step process of technical meetings that has been slowed by equipment reliability and staffing changes.
“[W]e are not quite there yet. But, we hope to be bringing you back a substantial matter in October,” Kyle (staff member) told the board, summarizing next steps. Peter Hahn of Glorieta Geoscience described a recent technical meeting with LANL subcontractors and said the meeting was “positive” and that a follow-up meeting will include the DOE oversight bureau and EMLA. Hahn said the technical meeting focused on refining what sampling and analyses are needed and how funding would be used.
Board members and staff traced the delay to several factors: (1) the ENS gauge installed in 2021 can be inundated during high Rio Grande flows and needs refinement for reliable early notification; (2) staffing turnover at multiple agencies; and (3) a need to define the technical questions that sampling should answer before finalizing funding commitments.
Negotiators framed two core MOU topics: (1) an ENS to notify plant operators about flows from LA Pueblo Canyon so operators can decide whether to suspend diversions, and (2) continued funding for Rio Grande water sampling. Kyle said past MOUs have funded sampling at just under $100,000 and that staff have sought a consumer‑price‑index adjustment to those funds. Board staff said the parties have discussed a five‑year term for the MOU but had not finalized that length.
Brad Prada, the board’s facility manager who has participated in technical discussions, told the board that technical work should clarify operational questions such as the timing and duration of intake shutdowns at the Buckman intake. “That lag period is really important to understand,” Prada said, referring to how long operators should suspend diversions when the ENS signals canyon flows.
The board received no formal MOU to vote on at the Sept. 4 meeting. Staff described the current posture as ongoing negotiations; Kyle said staff hope to present a recommended agreement at the board’s Oct. 2 meeting.
Discussion only: staff and technical consultants described past work, recent technical meetings and outstanding questions. Direction: staff were instructed to continue negotiations and to return with a draft MOU for possible board action in October. Formal action: none on the MOU at this meeting.
","Board members heard a verbal update on negotiating a memorandum of understanding with Los Alamos National Laboratory/DOE oversight for early-notification and water-quality sampling, and staff said they aim to return with a draft for board consideration in October.","actionData","errors"]

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Facility manager outlines equipment deliveries, operator incentives and hiring steps

Buckman reports August production; wells used more as rivers ran turbid

Buckman board updates MOU talks with Los Alamos, seeks October draft