Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today announced that New Mexico will receive $27.6 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to help cover the costs of water and wastewater upgrades in communities across the state.  The funding is coming through the Environmental Protection Agency. 

The New Mexico Finance Authority will distribute $12.7 million in the form of grants and loans for drinking water projects and the New Mexico Environment Department will distribute $14.9 million throughout the state in grant funding for wastewater projects. 

“New Mexico communities will share nearly $28 million to fund significant water and wastewater projects that would otherwise likely have to be postponed because of the difficult economic climate,” Bingaman said.  “This necessary work will have the added benefit of providing work to New Mexicans.”

“New Mexico’s drinking water infrastructure and wastewater systems need investments to ensure that our communities have clean and quality sources of water, free from contamination,” said Udall. “These projects will help make important infrastructure improvements, create jobs in many communities, and make the best use of New Mexico’s limited water resources.”

A list of projects to be funded through these two grants is below:

Drinking Water Projects (Grants and Loans):

$252,500 for Village of Floyd to install treatment system for fluoride and arsenic,
$3.31 million for Town of Bernalillo to install arsenic treatment system
$454,500 for Dona Ana MDWCA to increase size of transmission lines
$1.97 million for Carlsbad to replace water lines
$2.11 million Farmington for Animas Street Waterline project
$590,000 Canjilon MDWCA for water supply well, water treatment
$2.02 million Carnuel MDWCA for storage reservoir, pump station, distribution lines
$2.02 million for Rio Rancho, reverse osmosis treatment for water well  

Wastewater Grant Projects:

$750,000 for City of Belen for collection system upgrades
$200,000 for the Village of Eagle Nest’s wastewater treatment plant lagoon 
$1.5 million for City of Elephant Butte for ewer collection lines and interceptors
$150,000 for Los Alamos County for an effluent reuse line 
$1.48 million for the Village of Logan’s wastewater treatment collection system
$1.17 million for the Village of Questa’s design and construct collection lines
$220,000 for the City of Raton’s wastewater collection system
$6.17 million for the Village of Ruidoso’s and the City of Ruidoso Downs’s expansion of wastewater treatment plant
$405,000 for San Miguel County wastewater treatment and collection
$1 million for City of Santa Rosa’s wastewater treatment facility upgrades
$600,000 for the Town of Silver City’s construct new digester cell
$1 million for City of Tucumcari wastewater treatment facility upgrades
$262,000 for Village of Wagon Mound to replace lagoon liner and effluent distribution system 

Some of these projects may also be funded through other federal sources, including regular EPA loans and U.S. Department of Agriculture grants or loans.