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Residents press council for more data, free well testing as sewer plan is debated
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged caution on a proposed villagewide wastewater/sewer project, questioned the Stantech preliminary engineering report and asked for guarantees on affordability; the council and administration said a free well-testing program will be developed for residents within roughly 90 days.
Several residents used the public-comment period to press the Village of Corrales council for more data and public input on a proposed villagewide wastewater/sewer project and related planning grants.
Bill Perkins told the council he was concerned the project could require homeowners to pay “not inconsiderable expenses and fees to hook up to the new plumbing system,” and that such costs might push lower-income residents out of the village. Perkins said the scale of anticipated borrowing and household-level costs warranted alternatives that protect longstanding residents.
Fred Hashimoto said he was not categorically opposed to sewer but insisted the village should not proceed without validating data. He asked specifically about the status of a $2 million architectural planning grant and said the preliminary engineering report (the Stantech study, as discussed at prior meetings) “was not validated” and did not demonstrate a villagewide groundwater contamination problem.
Shalomé Ward, speaking about historic preservation, said the demolition of an older adobe home on Corrales Road and recent high-value development proposals suggested the village should be cautious because sewer extension would facilitate further development.
In response, staff told the council they are developing a program to offer free well testing for residents and will build a protocol over the next 90 days to test for bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, as recommended by EPA and state guidance. Lori, the capital improvements liaison, and the mayor said the notice to consider Ordinance 25-02 does not itself authorize construction; it reaffirms existing impact-fee charts and updates land-use assumptions as required periodically by state law.
Next steps: staff will develop and publicize the free well-testing protocol and report back; further technical review of the Stantech preliminary engineering findings and the planning grant was requested by commenters and councilors.
