2nd Life Media Reports: Alamogordo's 40 Year Water Plan: A Plan for Sustainability in Water Resources

The City of Alamogordo has a 40 Year Comprehensive Water Plan that was established to create a roadmap for sustainable water resources for private citizens and for business development and growth.

With recent increases in water rates several citizens have spoken out and plastered on social media Alamogordo is a city without a plan. The exact opposite is true. Alamogordo is investing heavily in system infrastructure improvements to rid the system of leaks and to ensure a safe supply for today and future generations. Though citizens and businesses are feeling a pinch in our pocketbooks the city is on plan and marching forward to sustainability in water resources for future generations.

The City of Alamogordo’s 40-Year Water Development Plan (2015-2055), prepared by Livingston Associates, P.C. and John Shomaker & Associates, Inc., serves as a comprehensive strategy to ensure a reliable water supply amid challenges like drought, population growth, and variable surface water availability. It builds on previous plans (e.g., 2000-2040) and emphasizes the development of groundwater resources, particularly through the Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project (ARWSP) for desalinating brackish water. The plan quantifies supplies, projects demands, and outlines conservation and alternative strategies to bridge gaps. Below are the key highlights, roadmap, and status update as of the most recent commission meeting of August, 2025

Key Highlights

Purpose and Focus: The plan aims to quantify current water supplies and demands, project future needs based on population growth, develop existing water rights for drought resilience, and explore alternative supplies for sustainability. It addresses the city’s historical reliance on surface water (about 70% of supply), which is vulnerable to droughts and events like the 2012 Little Bear Fire that eliminated Bonito Lake contributions.

Water Supplies: Total water rights are 13,349 acre-feet per year (AFY), including 5,418 AFY from surface sources (firm yield: 2,525 AFY) and 7,931 AFY from groundwater (firm yield: 7,269 AFY with ARWSP). Without ARWSP, firm groundwater supply drops to 3,909 AFY. Key sources include La Luz Well Field (3,000 AFY), Bonito Lake (1,449 AFY right, but firm yield now near zero), and the Snake Tank Well Field (4,000 AFY via ARWSP, expandable to 5,000 AFY).

Demands and Projections: Average diversions are 4,502 AFY (2006-2010), with residential use at 80%. Future demands are projected to rise from 7,185 AFY in 2015 to 11,584 AFY by 2055, assuming 1.2% annual population growth and a per capita use of 165 gallons per capita per day (gpcd). Peak daily demand could reach 22.7 million gallons per day (MGD) by 2055.

Conservation Achievements: Per capita use has dropped from 261 gpcd in 1992 to 132 gpcd (2006-2010) through ordinances like Water Conservation Ordinance No. 948 (1995, restricting outdoor use), Water Rationing Ordinance No. 1008 (1997, for emergencies), and rebates for low-flow fixtures. Reclaimed water offsets up to 3 MGD for irrigation, and infrastructure upgrades (e.g., reservoir lining) save 600 AFY.

Alternative Sources: ARWSP is central, to providing desalinated brackish water at 84% recovery as a future resource. Other options include indirect potable reuse (up to 1,000 AFY), agricultural water exchanges (850 AFY via reclaimed water trades), and bulk purchases. Non-recommended alternatives include Salt Basin imports or Sacramento River pipelines due to high costs and permitting hurdles.

Challenges Addressed: The plan mitigates supply gaps (firm supply of 9,794 AFY vs. 2055 demand of 11,584 AFY without action) and promotes conjunctive management for flexibility during droughts.

Roadmap

The plan is structured in two phases, with an implementation roadmap focused on phased development, feasibility studies, and periodic reviews. It includes timelines tied to demand projections under typical and drought scenarios.

Phase 1: Core Development (Ongoing from 2015):

• Fully develop groundwater to 7,269 AFY, including maintaining La Luz Well Field output and completing ARWSP (Snake Tank Well Field: 3,360 AFY treated water).

• Construct transmission pipelines (Phases I-III completed or underway) and explore Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) for storing up to 2,000 AFY of excess surface water.

• Enhance conservation through education, rate structures, and reclaimed water expansion (e.g., winter storage evaluation).

• Phase 2: Optional Alternatives (Post-Phase 1, as Needed):

• Conduct feasibility studies for indirect potable reuse (IPR) via aquifer recharge or blending (1,000 AFY), Multiple Use Water Conservation (MUWC) exchanges (850 AFY), and bulk water purchases (ensuring quality <800 mg/L TDS).

• Implement based on permitting, costs, and demand; expand ARWSP beyond 4,000 AFY if required.

• Timelines and Milestones:

• 2015: Initiate ARWSP production (2.9 MGD desalination, 3.5 MGD from Snake Tank); require 3,717 AFY under drought.

• 2020: Add 0.4 MGD brackish water; ARWSP at 3,717 AFY.

• 2035: Scale to 4.7 MGD desalination, 3.6 MGD Snake Tank, plus 2.0 MGD additional brackish; ARWSP at 5,213 AFY (drought scenario).

• 2045: Add 0.5 MGD brackish under typical conditions.

• 2055: Peak ARWSP at 7,675 AFY (6.9 MGD desalination, 3.6 MGD Snake Tank, 4.6 MGD additional brackish in drought).

• Ongoing: Progress reports every 5 years to revise projections; annual monitoring of supplies, demands, and conservation effectiveness.

Status Update as of August 26th, 2025

The plan remains active and is undergoing a formal update process, (contrary to social media reports of noncompliance) as required every 5 years. August of 2025, the Alamogordo City Commission heard a presentation on the water master plan update from the Utilities Department and engineering firm CDM Smith that was broadcasted via the Internet for public access

This updarw aligns with the plan’s milestone for 2025 revisions, focusing on current supplies, demands, and adaptations to ongoing challenges like drought vulnerability

Key progress includes the operational ARWSP desalination facility plans and timelines, which will ultimately enhance groundwater reliability, continue updating water lines to stop leaks. and continued conservation efforts reducing per capita use.

However, surface water sources like Bonito Lake remain limited, reinforcing the shift to groundwater.

Recent updates addresse population growth, climate impacts, and integration with state initiatives like New Mexico’s 50-Year Water Action Plan.

In March 2025, the Utilities Department announced "shovel-ready" water and sewer replacement projects with several nearing conclusion such as new large lines on New York Avenue and Oregon from Scenic to 10th Street.

These projects, which include adding three new water tanks, and better connectivity to existing tanks projects moving forward gradually.

To improve water testing access and provide quality drinking water, the city is installing 60 new water sampling stations across its distribution network.

Effective July 1, 2024, the city implemented new rates and fees for water, sewer, and reclaimed water services, following a rate study to ensure sustainability and upkeep.

The rate increase was partly influenced by rising costs from the Two Rivers utility and is considered necessary to address decades of infrastructure neglect. The increase has been unpopular and has resulted in a social media backlash. The decades of neglect necessitated the increase that past Alamogordo Commissions did not have the courage to push forward. Anger at the existing leadership is unwarranted given years of neglect necessitating the investment for a sustainable system now and in the future.

The city continues to enforce its outdoor watering schedule from May 1 to November 1, limiting watering times to before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m. to reduce evaporation.

An aggressive tiered rate billing structure is also in effect to encourage reduced consumption as a part of the 40 Year Plan.

Assessing the overall "success" of Alamogordo's 40-year water plans to date is complex, as the city has excelled in some areas, like water conservation, while continuing to face a need for additional, reliable sources. The plans and their successive updates document both significant achievements and ongoing challenges. Successes of the water plan

Reduced water consumption: Through aggressive conservation programs and tiered water rates, Alamogordo has achieved one of the lowest per capita water use rates in the Southwest.

Expansion of reclaimed water use: The city has successfully developed and expanded its reclaimed water system, which now serves parks, golf courses, schools, and contractors. The program recycles an average of 1.8 million gallons of water daily, saving millions of gallons of potable water annually.

Infrastructure improvements: The city has completed several infrastructure projects in line with its long-term planning, including covering reservoirs to reduce evaporation, repairing leaks, and rehabilitating key storage tanks. More work is scheduled with several projects to be placed to bid.

Future resource planning: The city has consistently evaluated future water sources, with desalination from brackish aquifers identified as the most feasible option. The city has secured water rights for this purpose and pursued funding for a future plant.

Ongoing challenges and shortcomings

Urgent need for new supply: Despite successful conservation efforts, Alamogordo's 40-year plans have repeatedly stated that the need for a new water supply is urgent. The current supply is not yet sufficient to meet peak demands for the longterm, and the city has exhausted the practical limits of conservation thus infrastructure pipe upgrades are a must before desalination is launched full force.

Reliance on a vulnerable supply: A large portion of Alamogordo's historic supply comes from surface water, which is highly susceptible to drought. This makes the city vulnerable during dry periods, reinforcing the need for more resilient sources.

Desalination remains in development: While the city has identified and planned for a desalination facility since at least 2000, the project has yet to be fully implemented due to infrastructure improvements needed. It has faced challenges related to funding and the lengthy legalities via the water rights process, delaying the development of a critical, drought-proof water source but work is in process.

Lagging infrastructure maintenance: As noted in the rationale for recent water rate increases, decades of underfunding and neglected infrastructure have accumulated, requiring aggressive and potentially unpopular measures to address.

A sustainable safe water supply takes investment and a commitment by city leadership. Alamogordo does not want to become Flint Michigan. A comprehensive effort is underway and required for the longhaul.

For the latest, check the City of Alamogordo’s website or commission minutes and continue to access information via AlamogordoTownNews.org

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