System: Rio Communities
A printable version of this report is also available.
About Your Water Quality
At New New Mexico Water, our goal is to deliver safe, high-quality drinking water, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. As part of that effort, we produce this annual water quality report, which includes information about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to state and federal standards. Most importantly, it confirms that in 2023, our water met or surpassed all standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New Mexico Environment Department to protect public health.
Your Water System
The water supply for the Rio Communities water system is pumped from one deep well that is drilled into the Santa Fe Formation of the Rio Grande Aquifer. This formation stretches from the Cochiti Reservoir on the north to San Acacia on the south, and from the Sandia Mountains on the east to hills just west of the Rio Puerco. Several other communities, including the city of Albuquerque, village of Los Lunas, and city of Belen, as well as Valencia County unincorporated communities of the Rio del Oro subdivision and Cypress Gardens, also withdraw water from the Santa Fe Formation of the Rio Grande Aquifer. The water pumped from the aquifer is disinfected and stored in a 1.5-million-gallon steel reservoir.
Source Water Assessment and Protection
The Rio Communities water system is well maintained and operated, and sources of drinking water are generally protected from potential contamination by well construction, hydrogeology, and system operations and management. However, the susceptibility of the system is classified as "high," due to the potential contamination from septic systems, animal rangeland, and nearby roadways. No associated contaminants have been detected from these potential sources. Please contact New Mexico Water to discuss the findings for the Source Water Assessment and Protection Plan (SWAPP) report.
For Details on the Data in This Report
New Mexico Water Service
Attn: Staci Avendano
608 Butte Boulevard
Elephant Butte, NM 87935
(575) 744-5974
[email protected]
If you would like more information or have questions about your water service, please contact us:
401 Horner Street
Rio Communities, NM 87002
(505) 864-2218
M–F 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
(closed noon–1 p.m.)
Possible Contaminants
All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.
The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.
The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lake, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals—and in some cases radioactive material—and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activities. Prior to entering the distribution system, source water with constituents over maximum contaminant levels is treated to reduce levels to meet standards set by public health experts.
More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic compounds, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural applications, and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to keep tap water safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
Information Regarding Arsenic
While your drinking water meets EPA's standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA's standard balances the current understanding of arsenic's possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.
PFAS and Lead
PFAS
In April 2024, the EPA adopted the final water quality regulation for certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS):
- MCL of 4 ppt for PFOS and PFOA.
- MCL of 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX.
- Hazard Index of 1.0 combined for PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS, and GenX.
Water systems must begin monitoring for these PFAS within three years, and comply within five years.
At New Mexico Water, protecting our customers' health and safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to complying with all requirements set by the public health experts. We have been preparing for the EPA regulation and its potential impact on—and any treatment needed in—our systems, and already evaluated the impact of the proposed regulation so that we could be better prepared to comply with the final MCLs.
Additionally, we believe a comprehensive approach is needed to properly address the situation. We strongly supported state legislation that will prohibit the sale and use of certain products that contain PFAS, require the certification of accurate testing methods for PFAS, and establish a publicly accessible database that houses the sources of PFAS entering water supplies. We have also filed lawsuits to hold PFAS manufacturers responsible—and prevent our customers from bearing the costs of treatment, to the extent possible—and are pursuing grants where available to offset customer cost impacts.
As background, PFAS are manmade compounds that have been used to make carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food, and other materials (e.g., cookware) that are resistant to water, grease, or stains. These compounds are also used for firefighting at airfields, which is one way they have found their way into groundwater in certain areas.
Studies indicate that long-term exposure to PFAS over certain levels could have adverse health effects, including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or infants; cancer; or impacts on liver, immunity, thyroid, and other functions. Potential health effects related to PFAS are still being studied, and research is still evolving on this issue.
About Lead
As the issue of lead in water continues to be top of mind for many Americans, New Mexico Water wants to assure you about the quality of your water.
None of these conditions exist at New Mexico Water. We have worked proactively to eliminate lead-bearing materials from our water systems, and we are compliant with health and safety codes mandating the installation of lead-free materials in public water systems. We test our water sources to confirm that the water we deliver to customers' meters meets water quality standards and is not corrosive toward plumbing materials. The water we deliver may meet lead standards, but what about your home plumbing? Because lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing, the Lead and Copper Rule is a critical part of our water quality monitoring program.
The Lead and Copper Rule requires us to test water inside a representative number of homes with plumbing most likely to contain lead and/or lead solder (those built before 1986). This test, with other water quality testing, tells us if the water is corrosive enough to cause lead from home plumbing to leach into the water. If the "Action Level" for lead is exceeded, we work with our customers to investigate the issue and, if necessary, implement corrosion control before the lead levels create a health issue.
Elevated levels of lead, if present, can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and children. If your home's plumbing contains lead piping or pipe fittings, lead solder, or brass fixtures that may contain lead, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.
If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested by a certified lab. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
In your system, results of our lead monitoring program, conducted in accordance with the Lead and Copper Rule, were 0.62 parts per billion. The EPA's Action Level for lead is 15 parts per billion.
Table Introduction
Key Definitions
Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other required action by the water provider.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is significant evidence that the addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Treatment technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Standard Abbreviations
| NA | Not applicable |
| pCi/L | picoCuries per liter (measure of radioactivity) |
| ppb | parts per billion (micrograms per liter) |
| ppm | parts per million (milligrams per liter) |
| µg/L | Number of micrograms of substance in one liter of water |
New Mexico Water tests your water for more than 140 regulated contaminants and dozens of unregulated contaminants. This table lists only primary contaminants that were detected during the calendar year of this report (unless otherwise noted).
See the Potential Contaminants web page for a complete list of contaminants we test for.
The EPA and state of New Mexico require us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because concentrations of these contaminants do not change rapidly.
Do I Need to Take Special Precautions?
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised people, such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, those who have undergone organ transplants, and those with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders; some elderly people; and infants, can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking water. EPA/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Our testing equipment is so sensitive, it can detect constituents as small as 1 part per trillion. That is equivalent to 1 inch in over 15 million miles.
2022 Water Quality
| Disinfectants & Disinfectant Byproducts | MCLG or MRDLG | MCL, TT, or MRDL | Your Water | Range | Year Tested | Unit | Violation | Typical Source | ||
| Low | High | |||||||||
| Chlorine (as CL2) | 4 | 4 | 0.85 | 0.2 | 1.58 | 2023 | ppm | No | Water additive used to control microbes | |
| TTHMs (total trihalomethanes) | NA | 80 | 1.19 | ND | 1.19 | 2023 | µg/L | No | Byproduct of drinking water chlorination | |
| Inorganic Contaminants | MCLG or MRDLG | MCL, TT, or MRDL | Your Water | Range | Year Tested | Unit | Violation | Typical Source | ||
| Low | High | |||||||||
| Nitrate (measured as nitrogen) | 10 | 10 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0.19 | 2023 | ppm | No | Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits | |
| Fluoride | 4 | 4 | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.46 | 2023 | ppm | No | Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories | |
| Arsenic | 0 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2023 | ppb | No | Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics production wastes | |
| Barium | 2 | 2 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.11 | 2023 | ppm | No | Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries, erosion of natural deposits | |
| Chromium | 100 | 100 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2023 | ppb | No | Discharge from steel and pulp mills, erosion of natural deposits | |
| Sodium | NA | NA | 28 | 28 | 28 | 2023 | ppm | No | Erosion of natural deposits; leaching | |
| Radioactive Contaminants | MCLG or MRDLG | MCL, TT, or MRDL | Your Water | Range | Year Tested | Unit | Violation | Typical Source | ||
| Low | High | |||||||||
| Gross alpha (including radon and uranium) | 0 | 15 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 2022 | pCi/L | No | Erosion of natural deposits of certain minerals that are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation | |
| Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) | 0 | 15 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2022 | pCi/L | No | Erosion of natural deposits of certain minerals that are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation | |
| Combined radium 226/228 | 0 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2022 | pCi/L | No | Erosion of natural deposits | |
| Beta/proton emitters | 0 | 50 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 2022 | pCi/L | No | Decay of natural and man-made deposits. The EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for Beta particles. | |
| Uranium | 0 | 30 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2022 | µg/L | No | Erosion of natural deposits | |
| Inorganic Contaminants | MCLG | AL | 90th Percentile | Samples > AL | Year Tested | Unit | Exceeds AL | Typical Source | ||
| Lead—action level at consumer taps | 0 | 15 | 0.62 | 0 | 2023 | ppb | No | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits | ||
| Copper—action level at consumer taps | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.11 | 0 | 2023 | ppm | No | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits | ||
| Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5) | MCLG or MRDLG | MCL, TT, or MRDL | Your Water | Low | High | Year Tested | Unit | Violation | Typical Source | |
| Lithium | NA | NA | 43.3 | 35.4 | 43.3 | 2023 | µg/L | No | Naturally occurring metals that may concentrate in brine waters; ;lithium salts are used as pharmaceuticals, used in electrochemical cells, batteries, and in organic syntheses. | |
Thank you
Thanks for taking the time to learn more about your water quality.
Even more information awaits you at www.newmexicowater.com.
Visit our web site to get information about your account, water rates, and water system. And, as always, you can reach us by phone or at our Customer Center.