County adopts 2026–2030 Water Conservation Plan update; small program sets new outreach and ordinance priorities
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Summary
Bernalillo County approved an updated five‑year Water Conservation Plan that keeps existing program operations but adds seven new initiatives — including domestic‑well outreach, leak‑repair assistance for low‑income households and an updated water‑use ordinance — while estimating roughly 30 million gallons in annual savings from the plan.
The Bernalillo County Commission approved an update to the county’s Water Conservation Plan for fiscal years 2026–2030. The plan guides program activities for the county‑run water conservation office, which serves properties outside city water utility service areas, private wells and small water systems.
Staff said the county’s program operates with two full‑time staff and roughly $200,000 in annual budget and is unusual because most water conservation programs are run by utilities. The update reflects a multi‑step development process that included an inventory of other U.S. water conservation programs, data analysis of local water use, three in‑person community open houses (Sandia Heights/North Albuquerque Acres, East Mountains and South Valley) and an online survey. The county said it incorporated 179 community responses and feedback from partner agencies including the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.
Major changes and new initiatives in the 2026–2030 plan include: - Targeted outreach and community conversations about outdoor irrigation that involves auxiliary or domestic wells connected to properties otherwise served by a water system; - A leak repair assistance and retrofit incentive program targeted to low‑ and limited‑income households; - Plant kits and tree‑irrigation kits to promote efficient outdoor watering and support urban trees; - An updated county water‑conservation ordinance (last substantively updated in 2010) that will align with best practices and regional codes; - Stronger partnership work with the county’s largest water systems and expanded marketing to reach underserved communities.
Program staff estimated the combination of the plan’s initiatives would save roughly 30 million gallons of water annually across the county and committed to better data‑tracking of gallons saved per participant, plus monitoring of gallons per capita per day for water systems in the county service area. Staff told the commission the plan can be implemented without additional budget or staff in the near term, but identified further programming that could be launched if additional funding becomes available.
Commission discussion focused on the long‑term challenge: New Mexico faces projected supply declines over coming decades, and commissioners said conservation — combined with regional planning and new technology — will be essential. Commissioners thanked staff for extensive outreach and asked for continued coordination with municipal and regional partners. The commission approved the plan for implementation.