Albuquerque Journal
By Steve Shoup
December 14, 2000
Here's one way to reduce the amount of contamination in the wastewater Rio Rancho releases into the Rio Grande: Don't release any water at all.
"This is an ambitious project we're embarking on," City Administrator James Jimenez told the City Council meeting Wednesday night.
The city is facing stricter standards from the federal Environmental Protection Agency on how much arsenic and fecal coliform bacteria it can release into the river.
Both arsenic and fecal coliform bacteria occur naturally in water. Arsenic has been linked to some cancers while fecal coliform, which exists in animal waste, can indicate the presence of harmful bacteria.
City estimates show it might cost the city up to $90 million to build a plant to remove arsenic from wastewater, and about $7 million a year to run the plant. Even with a less strict arsenic standard, it could cost about $17 million to build an arsenic removal plant and about $700,000 a year to run it.
Councilors Howard Balmer and David Bency and Utilities Department director Larry Webb went to Gilbert and Chandler, Ariz., in July, to look at waste-water reuse programs there. Those communities water all their golf courses and parks with recycled water and require that common areas in developments also use recycled water.
"What those people do, with a 100-percent recycle policy, it's really incredible," Bency said at Wednesday's meeting. "This is the future of Rio Rancho. We need to take this very seriously."
The councilors went to those cities because Wilson and Company, which is working with Rio Rancho on its wastewater issues, is also working with Chandler. Intel also has a plant in Chandler, and Severn Trent Environmental Services, which handles Rio Rancho's water utilities, also handles wastewater treatment in Chandler and Gilbert, a progress report from Utilities Director Larry Webb said.
Webb said in the report that the city's goal was to release no wastewater into the Rio Grande in 10 years, but that goal might have to be cut to three to meet the EPA's proposed standards.
The city already reuses treated wastewater on parks, sports fields and the Rio Rancho Country Club golf course, but only during the summer, Webb's report said.
The city might inject treated wastewater back underground into the aquifer, Webb said. The water would be clean enough for drinking water, and could ultimately be drawn out again.
Webb said during a break in the meeting such a plan could be cheaper than following the EPA's guidelines for releasing water into the Rio Grande.
The idea drew support from several councilors.
"This is an absolutely amazing project we're taking on," Councilor Joan Kellogg said.
Jimenez said during the meeting that the city would have to work with the state because state laws and regulations don't give much guidance on use of recycled water. The city would have to work with the Office of the State Engineer.
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