Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state will contribute $8 million for an additional groundwater well to augment the water supply for the greater Gallup area and surrounding Navajo Nation Chapter communities while the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project is under construction.
The funds will allow the City of Gallup to drill groundwater wells that will bridge the gap in municipal water supply and expand delivery to include Navajo Nation Chapter communities that are not currently served. The new groundwater wells will serve the immediate need of delivering municipal water during project construction and will better equip the area with a backup groundwater supply in the event of surface water shortages in the future.
“Bringing clean drinking water to New Mexico communities is an integral aspect of state infrastructure,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “My administration is delivering critical infrastructure dollars to every corner of New Mexico, making transformational investments to improve water, roads, and broadband for the benefit of all New Mexicans.”
“No other governor has done more for our community’s infrastructure than Gov. Lujan Grisham,” said Gallup Mayor Louie Bonaguidi. “The funding for this new well will make sure that Gallup continues to have access to reliable and safe water.”
“I am grateful to the legislature and Gov. Lujan Grisham for recognizing the important need to address ongoing drought and aridification in our state,” said State Engineer Mike Hamman. “These funds are a crucial step in the direction of ensuring a reliable water supply and finally delivering water to those who have been waiting far too long.”
The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project is a major infrastructure project that, once constructed, will supply water to an estimated quarter of a million people by conveying a reliable municipal and industrial water supply from the San Juan River to the eastern section of the Navajo Nation, southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the city of Gallup, New Mexico via about 280 miles of pipeline, several pumping plants, and two water treatment plants.
