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Santa Fe-area San Juan–Chama return-flow project moves to public review, boards briefed on schedule
Summary
City water staff briefed the board on the federally funded San Juan–Chama return-flow project, saying a draft environmental assessment will be released for a 30-day public comment period and listing near-term briefings to the PUC (Aug. 17) and BCC (Aug. 25).
Bill Schneider, a representative of the water division, told the board the San Juan–Chama return-flow project will enter a formal public-review phase this fall and that staff will return with more detailed materials next month. "This project, which is designed to maximize the city's and county's San Juan Chama water, has been a concept for over 50 years," Schneider said.
Schneider said the team aims to issue a draft environmental assessment in late September for a 30-day comment period, issue a finalized EA in November and secure permits so construction could proceed under a federal performance period that runs through December 2028. He asked the board for permission to present fuller materials to the BCC and the PUC in August and to return to the board with more detail.
The project is described as a straightforward pipe-and-pump system to capture return flows and route treated effluent back into the water system for credit and reuse. Schneider noted government-to-government consultations with Pueblos have been requested and that those consultations and any Pueblo concerns will be addressed through the federal EA process. The board granted Schneider leave to return with detailed graphics and documentation at a future meeting.
Next steps: staff will brief the Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 17 and the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 25, release the draft EA for public comment and then incorporate comments as part of the permitting process.
