Sunland Park needs new water utility

Residents of Sunland Park and Santa Teresa weren’t informed when arsenic treatment plants for their water were shut down, exposing them to dangerous health risks. Now, those same residents are being slammed with outrageous monthly bills by the public utility that allowed the water to become contaminated.

Finally, their calls for help are being heard. Last week, the state auditor’s office announced it had started an investigation into the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, based on concerns raised by residents and the state Environment Department. State Auditor Joseph Maestas said his office is in regular communications with both the Environment Department and state Justice Department about CRRUA.

“It would be beyond the remit of any agency other than the court to require CRRUA to provide equitable relief, but the OSA will make every effort to audit CRRUA’s compliance with all applicable laws and regulations,” he said in a letter to residents.

The arsenic levels in the water occur naturally, requiring constant treatment for it to be safe, explained Daisy Maldonado of the Empowerment Congress, which is working with residents to address the problem.

Under state law, a utility gets a three-year reprieve from testing if every test for a year meets state standards, Maldonado said. CRRUA met that standard in 2019, just in time for the global pandemic.

Whatever the reason, arsenic treatment plants were shut down without notification to consumers for more than a year. When CRRUA was required to begin testing again, the water was well over the acceptable levels for arsenic.

Residents noticed the water had become discolored, and some stopped drinking it. But that wasn’t an option for many living in the impoverished community. Now, they are dealing with health issues including hair loss, skin problems and cancer.

And to top it all off, CRRUA raised its rates in July so it can now comply with state standards. Residents who had been paying $80 to $100 a month were hit with water bills in the thousands of dollars, Maldonado said.

It’s the kind of outrage that would not be allowed in more affluent communities. But sadly, it is all too familiar in Sunland Park.

CRRUA was formed in 2009 when the city of Sunland Park signed a joint powers agreement with Doña Ana County to create the new water provider. It was a way for both the city and county to wash their hands of the problem by creating a new governing body that is accountable to – I’m not sure.

The investigation by the state auditor may be the first time CRRUA is truly held to account. It will be interesting to see what they find. Was this a situation where water rates and other sources of funding simply weren’t enough to keep up with needed repairs? Or was there waste, fraud and abuse?

Either way, there is no excuse for not informing residents of the decision to discontinue treatment for arsenic. CRRUA has obliterated the bond of trust it may once have had with consumers, and that will never be restored. The residents of Sunland Park and Santa Teresa need a new water provider who they can rely on.

Walter Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.org.