Residents urge Las Cruces to rework lead‑and‑copper investigations, provide clearer inventories and Spanish‑language access

Several residents urged the Las Cruces City Council on Oct. 20 to require more robust lead‑and‑copper investigations, better public communication and clearer tracking of service‑line materials in the city utilities inventory.

Lynn Moorerer told council, "the city of Las Cruces is not complying with the lead and copper rule," and alleged that utility staff had instructed removal or alteration of installation and inspection dates in records. Moorerer said meter‑pit inspections alone are insufficient and asked that investigations be redone using techniques "acceptable to EPA." She also said records lacked identifiable installation dates and that some records now list piping as non‑lead based without documentation of installation dates.

Liz Rodriguez Johnson pressed the council for more transparent public outreach and for answers to questions raised at the Oct. 6 meeting. She noted that the New Mexico Finance Authority handled a $15,000,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grant referenced at a previous meeting and asked how much of the grant will specifically assist disadvantaged people after the city's change to disadvantaged‑community designations in the inventory. Rodriguez Johnson asked: where are lead connectors tracked in the city's inventory, how many galvanized connectors have been replaced, and whether the city intends to charge customers for the cost to replace parts of their service line.

Both speakers requested that the city's answers to earlier questions be posted on the city website by the next council meeting on Nov. 3. They also asked which utilities staff are fluent in Spanish and called for language access and assistance for customers who cannot afford service‑line replacements.

Council did not take action on these requests during the Oct. 20 meeting; speakers asked the governing body to require staff to post responses and to perform renewed investigations in line with EPA guidance.