Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water And Wastewater topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rio Rancho utilities director outlines $22–23M Plant 2 plan, new wells and AMI meter expansion
Summary
Utilities Director Jason told the board that a rebid for a Plant 2 headworks is projected at $22–23 million (about $9M in ARPA funding), Plant 1 closure and several lift-station and treatment projects are underway, and the AMI meter program will add ~5,500 meters (phase 2) at a cost of about $2.2M.
Director Jason told the Rio Rancho governing board the Utilities Department is advancing multiple major water and wastewater projects.
Wastewater: For Plant 2 headworks, the department canceled an earlier over-budget bid, completed a redesign and held a pre-bid visit; Jason said the expected project cost is "somewhere in the 22 to $23,000,000 range," with roughly $9,000,000 coming from ARPA federal funds and the remainder from utility revenue. If a viable bid is received within budget, construction could start later this fall. He also reported phase 2 of Plant 1 closure (grading, filling basins and removing remaining concrete collars to meet NMED closure standards) is slated for completion in October at about $778,000.
Water and wells: The director described Well 13 equipping and treatment (redrilled previously; now being equipped and fitted with arsenic treatment) with a target completion "no later than April 2025" and a project cost of $7,200,000. He said Well 9 equipping and treatment will cost about $7,600,000; once both wells are online they will add important redundancy and preserve state water-permit rights for Well 9.
AMI meters and customer service: Jason summarized the AMI meter rollout: about 2,800 meters were installed in Cabezon during phase 1; phase 2 will add roughly 5,500 meters in Northern Meadows, bringing the city to about 8,500 smart meters (roughly 22% of the city). He said phase 2 is expected to be bid next week, cost about $2,200,000 and take four months to install once underway. He explained AMI meters send reads every 15 minutes, enabling earlier leak detection and remote shutoffs, and the department has signed a contract for a new customer service system that will include outage mapping and text/email alerts.
Questions from board members focused on schedule impacts from redesigns, archaeological/environmental clearances on the transmission line alignment, and whether AMI data would help detect leaks. Jason explained the redesign delayed the Plant 2 timeline by roughly 6–8 months but should not impair plant operations, that environmental consultants are addressing archaeological clearance issues on the planned 6-mile transmission alignment, and that AMI reads provide timely leak alerts so the utility can notify customers and reduce lost water.
The director said the utility will present more detail during a scheduled October rate study and stand ready to coordinate community outreach when construction impacts are expected.
