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State official outlines regionalization push for rural water systems, cites 2023 Regional Water System Resiliency Act
Summary
A New Mexico Environment Department official spoke to the Sandoval County commission about regionalization efforts for small water systems and the 2023 Regional Water System Resiliency Act (SB 1), saying consolidation can boost technical, managerial and financial capacity.
A New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) official told the Sandoval County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 22 that regionalized water authorities offer a pathway to stabilize small, rural public water systems and help them meet increasingly complex regulatory requirements.
Andrew Houtsinger, special projects coordinator with the NMED's Water Protection Division, described the state’s work to support more than 650 public water systems, most of which serve fewer than 3,000 connections. "Over 90% of the small and rural water systems in New Mexico … have one water source," Houtsinger said, and that lack of redundancy often leaves communities vulnerable when wells fail or infrastructure is damaged.
Why it matters: Houtsinger emphasized that regionalization can create economies of scale…
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