New Mexico Environment Department launches third-party audit of CRRUA operations

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

May 6, 2024

Contact: Jodi McGinnis Porter, Deputy Communications Director

Office of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham

505.500.9400 | jodi.mcginnisporter@exec.nm.gov

New Mexico Environment Department launches third-party audit of CRRUA operations

Review of technical, financial, and administrative operations will help ensure CRRUA is able to provide safe drinking water for Sunland Park residents

DOÑA ANA COUNTY — On April 29, 2024, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) signed an agreement with the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) to perform a comprehensive performance evaluation (CPE) to evaluate what led to operational failures that resulted in unsafe drinking water delivered to CRRUA customers.

The CPE will begin May 28, 2024 and review all aspects of CRRUA operations, including financial, administrative, and technical, to identify shortcomings and provide a set of recommendations to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water. The audit, findings, and recommendations will be made public and shared through community meetings.

Since issuing the Administrative Compliance Order on March 1, 2024, NMED performed water sample testing on three occasions, including random, unannounced testing and regulatory compliance testing. The test results for arsenic are summarized below.

Sample Date

Sample Type

Arsenic MCL Exceedances

Arsenic value (mg/L)

March 15, 2024

Multiple locations, arsenic testing only

Industrial Park

0.016

March 21, 2024

Multiple locations, all compliance constituents

1673 McNutt Road

0.013

April 4, 2024

Regulatory compliance testing at four treatment plants, all compliance constituents

None

Below MCL

All other constituents tested within safe drinking water levels.

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