Alamogordo says desalination plant inactive; transmission-line funding, NM DOT approval remain

City staff told Mayor Pro Tem Sharon McDonald and the Alamogordo City Commission on March 11 that the municipal desalination plant is not operating because the transmission line needed to supply power and make the facility operable is incomplete.

"It's not operational right now and it's actually in inactive status with the state because we can't operate it," a city staff member said. The staff member said one mile of transmission line is finished, the next five-mile phase has been designed and is funded with a $12,000,000 loan, and the total buildout the city expects is about 16 miles.

The staff member said the next five-mile construction phase requires New Mexico Department of Transportation right-of-way clearances before work can proceed and that the schedule depends on how quickly remaining funding can be secured. "It depends purely on the funding when we can get it," the staff member told the commission.

The staff described the sequencing: clear right-of-way and obtain DOT approval for the first five-mile phase, then move to design and fund subsequent sections. No completion date was provided; the city said timing will depend on approvals and financing.

Why this matters: the transmission-line work is a prerequisite for operating the desalination plant, which the city said is currently unable to produce water because it lacks the necessary connection. Commissioners asked for clarification about permits and schedule; the staff repeated that the timetable is contingent on funding and regulatory clearances.

The commission did not take a formal vote specifically on the desalination project during the public meeting; the item was an informational update in the city report.

Meeting context: the update came as part of routine city reports during the March 11 meeting. No outside presenters or vendors addressed the commission on the topic during this session.