Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Water Treatment Plant

The 2023 study conducted by the ENMWUA concluded that chemicals in Ute Lake far exceed what is considered safe for drinking. This will result in drastic costs to the consumer and could it take $600 million to design & build a treatment plant to make the water safe to drink.

Below is a graph representing average amounts of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in water. According to the ENMWUA’s study, TDS levels in Ute Lake are 1,120 mg/L—more than half of the U.S. EPA’s maximum contamination level. 

 In addition, the lake showed the presence of PFAS/PFOS, also known as “forever chemicals.” These are linked to health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, problems with the immune system, changes in cholesterol, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer.

The ENMWUA now needs to design and build a new water treatment plant from the ground up. 

According to this report, the projected cost of the treatment plant is $407.5 million, within a -30% to +50% cost accuracy. This could result in a price tag up to more than $600 million dollars (see page 23 of the report). 

Currently, EPCOR is paying the City of Clovis and local landowners a wholesale rate of about $1.05 per 1,000 gallons. According to this report, it is estimated that the wholesale cost of water could go up to $4.78 per 1,000 gallons (see cost projections for alternative 2A on page 27 of the report). That is a more than 4.5x increase. 

In addition, when thinking about the rising cost of the treatment plant, one must wonder: How will this increase the cost to taxpayers?