Doña Ana County votes to begin severing joint powers agreement with Camino Real regional utility authority

Doña Ana County commissioners on May 13 voted unanimously to begin the process of terminating the joint powers agreement that created the utility arrangement with the Camino Real regional utility authority, a step county leaders said is intended to address long‑standing water service problems affecting Sunland Park and parts of southern Doña Ana County.

County Manager Scott Andrews said the decision "was not a decision that we took lightly. It's rooted in care. It's rooted in the belief that our residents deserve transparency, reliability and a better path forward." He told residents that CRUAA will continue to manage water and wastewater services "for the time being" and that the county does not anticipate immediate disruptions during the legal and procedural transition.

The county has already engaged HDR Engineering to perform a comprehensive engineering evaluation of CRUAA assets, Andrews and commissioners said. The study will assess pipes, wells, treatment plants, tanks and hydrants and will inform an updated asset management plan that county leaders said should guide long‑term maintenance and replacements. "HDR Engineering is the firm we're bringing in," Andrews said, noting the firm is doing similar work elsewhere.

Commissioner Christopher Sergio Hernandez, chair and representative for District 1, said the vote signals the board's judgment that "the current system is not working." Hernandez said the termination is the first step in creating "a system that serves the needs of our residents more effectively, providing clean and safe drinking water for everyone." He and other commissioners emphasized the process will take time and include technical work before policy or operational changes are finalized.

Commissioner Gloria Gamedos (District 2) described outreach plans and said the county will prioritize resident input during the transition. "The county recognizes that this process is not just about changing service providers; it's about creating a better system that truly works for you, the residents," Gamedos said. County officials outlined multiple communication measures, including a county‑funded call center, an online customer feedback form, frequent website updates and video updates on social media, and regular community meetings.

Officials also discussed interim public‑health and service measures. County staff said that the standard quarterly tests required by the New Mexico Environment Department will continue, that CRUAA has been running supplemental arsenic testing, and that CRUAA has tested water from 60 random households; officials said they plan to consider ways to expand testing and speed public reporting of results. Andrews and commissioners discussed the possibility of placing bottle‑filling stations in key locations through public‑private partnerships as a temporary mitigation measure, subject to legal review and agreement with potential private partners.

Commercial impacts and staffing were raised by attendees. County leaders acknowledged that some industrial customers have lacked sufficient water for operations and in some cases have obtained water from private wells. Officials said it is too early to state what will happen to specific CRUAA staff or who will operate the system long term; those decisions will depend on technical findings and upcoming negotiations with Sunland Park and CRUAA. The county noted opportunities to grow local operator capacity, including possible partnerships with Doña Ana Community College's water and wastewater technician program.

On governance and timeline, county officials said a four‑year termination clause existed in the renegotiated joint powers agreement signed about a year earlier but that commissioners decided to begin the termination process now. Andrews said he is "a bit of an ambitious guy" and estimated the transition could take about a year and, depending on the pace of negotiations, possibly as little as six months. Officials said further joint meetings with Sunland Park and CRUAA boards are scheduled to work through technical details and that more public updates will follow.

This action is procedural: the board directed staff to begin severing the joint powers agreement and authorized the technical and outreach work described above. No final long‑term operator was chosen at the meeting; CRUAA will remain responsible for providing service while the county proceeds with engineering, outreach and legal steps.

Residents can expect additional information on testing, outreach events and other transition steps as county staff and HDR Engineering complete assessments and as the boards meet to negotiate next steps.