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Taos council approves connection outside town limits for failing septic at Upper Ranchitos Road property
Summary
Council approved Resolution 25-13 to allow a property at 345 Upper Ranchitos Road to connect to the town sewer under the town's 2002 water and sewer manual, citing a failing septic system and groundwater contamination risk; the owner will pay connection costs and meet required plumbing and permit conditions.
The Taos Town Council voted unanimously on Jan. 28 to approve Resolution 25-13, which permits a single residential sewer connection outside town limits under the town's water and sewer manual when a septic system is failing and presents a health or groundwater risk.
The request was presented for the property at 345 Upper Ranchitos Road by real-estate agent Rudy Abeyta and property owner Johnny Ortiz. Abeyta said the house sits on 0.48 acres, less than the 0.75-acre standard for a conventional septic system under New Mexico law, and that the existing tank is leaking. He said the town sewer trunk (service) line is about 70 feet from the property edge and that Mr. Ortiz is prepared to pay all connection costs, plumbing work and the town's connection fees.
Town staff confirmed that the water and sewer manual (adopted in 2002) allows the governing body to authorize service outside the town limits in defined health-and-safety circumstances. Public Works Director Reynold Vasquez said the connection would use a service line (a 10-inch PVC was described in the map) rather than directly tying into a pressure trunk; the manual requires backflow prevention devices on each connection.
Council members and staff discussed related policy issues, including the town's treatment plant (which serves several jurisdictions), the equity of outside users connecting without annexing, the historic problem of 'sewer-only' accounts that are difficult to disconnect and the prospect of building the cost of outside connections into future rate studies. Deputy Manager Flores and the manager noted staff is revising the water-and-sewer manual and a rate study is underway; the manual currently lists a higher flat rate for sewer-only outside-town accounts ($34.88) than for sewer-only accounts inside town ($23.25).
A motion to approve the resolution carried on a roll call of council members recorded as: Council Member Oswald ' yes; Council Member Ortega ' yes; Council Member Fambro ' yes; Council Member Fernandez ' yes. The resolution as approved requires the property owner to pay all connection costs and to use licensed plumbing contractors as required by town policy. Councilors and staff noted the approval applies to this public-health case and asked staff to use the pending rate study and water-and-sewer manual revision to address the broader policy of outside connections going forward.
