Camino Real Regional Utility Authority asks people to cut all outdoor water use due to shortage

Members of the Doña Ana County Fire & Rescue Department give residents of parts of Santa Teresa and Sunland Park water at the Sports Complex in Santa Teresa Sunday Dec. 3, 2023. The utility is now urging conservation of water as two wells under maintenance and high water usage have dropped water supplies. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM)

The Camino Real Regional Utility Authority is urging no outdoor water use for the 19,000 residents in southern Doña Ana County, Sunland Park and Santa Teresa, citing low water supplies in a public announcement sent late afternoon Thursday.

The utility said they are experiencing “extremely low water levels” caused by a combination of high water use and two offline water wells undergoing repairs and maintenance.

Camino Real is asking people to cut outdoor water use until Wednesday, May 8 due to public safety concerns.

“This is not an emergency declaration,” said the utility’s executive director Juan Carlos Crosby.

“We need to ensure that fire officials in the city of Sunland Park and Doña Ana County have the water reserves they require for fire suppression.”

There are no fines or citations, as the measure is strictly voluntary, said Udell Vigil, a spokesperson for the water utility.

“We want customers to take the situation seriously, that’s the reason for the public notice,” Vigil said.

The area is in the midst of fire season. Wildfire conditions are already elevated due to ongoing drought conditions. The lack of moisture is going to combine with faster winds over the weekend, said Connor Dennhardt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service El Paso office.

“The combination of those two things will lead to critical to extreme fire danger for much of southwest New Mexico on Sunday,” he said. “I would not be surprised if we have red flag warnings out on Sunday.”

Sunday could see wind-speeds between 25-30 miles per hour, he said.

Sunland Park Fire Chief Danny Medrano could not be reached by phone for comment Thursday.

The public notice prohibits water use for irrigation, washing cars, patios, driveways, sidewalks and any commercial construction use of water hydrants. The notice applies to public parks and school grounds.

This comes as the utility is attempting to assuage concerns about its operations and rebuild trust with customers after a series of water quality issues – including sending drinking water with “high levels of arsenic” to customers, without notifying the public last year.

The latest three tests from New Mexico Environment Department show the utility is now in compliance, with arsenic levels in the utility’s water measuring below the federal limit of 10 parts per billion.

Public Notice of Temporary Interruption of Outdoor Water Service_Final

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