Alamogordo’s Brackish Water Desalination Facility: A Supplemental Resource Awaiting Full Potential

NEW THREE-PART SERIES “Desalination in Depth” by Journalist Chris Edwards, NewMexicoConservativeNews.com and AlamogordoTownNews.org (2nd Life Media Affiliated Brands)

As Alamogordo faces ongoing drought threats and reliance on finite surface water, our in-depth investigation exposes the realities behind the city’s multi-million-dollar brackish water desalination plant—a project rooted in forward-thinking planning but hampered by past decisions that left it largely idle and the present city leadership cleaning up the sins of the past...

The City of Alamogordo’s reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant, a multi-million-dollar investment in drought-resistant water supply, was never intended to serve as the community’s primary water source. Designed explicitly as a “peaking facility” to operate during high-demand periods—typically peak summer months—the 1 million gallons per day (MGD) plant is designed to only supplement the city’s superior surface water and conservation efforts.

Acting City Manager Stephanie J. Hernandez, Ph.D., emphasizes that the facility’s current inactive status stems from infrastructure challenges inherited from earlier planning decisions and prior administrations. “The facility was built in a location that is not financially feasible for producing water to operate outside the need to meet demand,” she noted, highlighting that the most significant ongoing cost involves pumping each gallon multiple times before it reaches beneficial use. “North of Tularosa would have been a better location.”

Today’s acting city manager and leadership, and the commissioners sworn in for 2026 along with Mayor Sharon McDonald, are now tasked with making this long-envisioned project viable and fixing past failures in planning by prioritizing the construction of a dedicated transmission pipeline from the Snake Tank well field. Without this critical 24-inch pipeline—approximately 16 miles in total— because of the plant's location, the plant cannot access a reliable supply of brackish groundwater, rendering it inactive despite its potential treatment capacity.

The project’s roots trace back to 2000, when the city applied to the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer for brackish water appropriations amid concerns over population growth, drought, and limited new surface or fresh groundwater sources. An Environmental Impact Statement, required due to federal land involvement, was completed in 2004, leading to a Bureau of Land Management Record of Decision in 2012. The plant became minimally operational due to a lack of available brackish water linked to it thus it has seen limited use due to these infrastructural gaps.

Currently, only one mile of pipeline exists, with only one of up to ten permitted wells equipped. This configuration limits potential output to about 1 MGD under peaking operations.

Annual idle costs remain modest—approximately $11,933 for basic utilities (electricity ~$7,074, water ~$3,115, gas ~$1,744)—plus preventive maintenance, inspections, and security managed by existing staff.

Debt service on associated loans totals around $127,216 for FY2026, funded via gross receipts tax allocations.

Looking ahead to move the project forward under Mayor Susan Paynes tenure the city secured a $12 million Water Trust Board loan for the next five-mile segment, currently in design with right-of-way clearing and Department of Transportation coordination underway.

Construction is anticipated in the third quarter of 2026 with the cooperation of the NMDOT.

Remaining phases—another five miles (in design, unfunded) and a final six miles (not yet in design)—will extend timelines well beyond the next two years, meaning no operational changes are expected short-term.

Hernandez explained that recent state grants for desalination were not pursued, as efforts focus on pipeline completion first: “Until that pipeline is completed, pursuing additional funding for the RO plant itself would not be practical, as the plant cannot operate without the required transmission infrastructure.”

Produced water from reverse osmosis is inherently more expensive than conventional sources due to intensive energy demands, chemical usage, membrane replacements, and operational oversight—exacerbated by the plant’s remote siting. Surface water continues as Alamogordo’s lowest-cost option, with per-capita use reduced from 260 gallons daily in the 1990s to 165 through conservation

Ultimately, completing the pipeline and equipping additional wells will transform the facility into a reliable, independent backup—enhancing water security for residents, the region, and Holloman Air Force Base. Adding redundancy, such as a second storage tank, is also planned.

This generational project underscores the challenges of long-term water planning in arid New Mexico. Current leaders under the administration of Mayor Sharon McDonald and acting city manager Dr. Stephanie Hernandez are committed to bridging past gaps, ensuring the investment yields lasting benefits for future generations.

For more details, view the city’s fact sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i-gmOSh1Sr-rXwHerVqs4tgOR9UAABBJ/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=101754664831811042751&rtpof=true&sd=true

Tomorrow part 2 in our series Part 2: The Real Costs of RO Water

Brackish desalination is pricier than surface water due to energy and operations—potentially raising blended rates if over-relied upon. But smart blending (18-20% of demand) keeps affordability while adding resilience. Minimal idle costs now, but full activation means responsible ratepayer investment for long-term security - a comparison of costs to citizens and water coats in other communities using desalination as an option.

Key facts in the series are corroborated by publicly available local, state and federal government, and university data and journalist notes as sources:

Project Background and Snake Tank Well Field: Application in 2000, EIS in 2004, BLM Record of Decision in 2012; 1 MGD brackish RO plant as a peaking facility.

 City of Alamogordo Utilities Administration page (mentions one brackish water reverse osmosis treatment facility): https://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/828/Utilities-Administration

Historical overview of Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project (New Mexico’s first large-scale municipal desalination): https://www.amtaorg.com/alamogordo-regional-water-supply-new-mexicos-first-largescale-municipal-desalination-project

Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (co-located/context): https://www.usbr.gov/research/bgndrf/

Pipeline and Infrastructure Challenges: Incomplete 16-mile (approx.) transmission pipeline from Snake Tank; current limited to ~1 mile; phased construction with $12M funding for next segment.

2nd Life Media article summarizing similar details (August 2025): https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/333581/2nd-life-media-reports-alamogordos-40-year-water-plan-plan-sustainability

40-Year Water Development Plan (2015–2055): Conservation success (260 to 165 gpcd); desalination as supplemental; ongoing updates. (Updated 2025)

Official city water resource planning page (links to prior plans, including 2015–2055 references): https://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/858/Water-Resource-Planning

Detailed 2nd Life Media report on the plan: https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/333581/2nd-life-media-reports-alamogordos-40-year-water-plan-plan-sustainability

Leadership Quotes and Status: Acting City Manager Dr. Stephanie J. Hernandez, Ph.D. (siting issues, pipeline priority); transitions involving Mayors Susan Payne and Sharon McDonald.

Official staff directory confirming Dr. Hernandez as Acting City Manager: https://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/directory.aspx?EID=180

2nd Life Media coverage of city management transitions: https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/336067/shadows-turnover-alamogordos-decade-dysfunction-and-rise-acting-city

Costs and Capacity: RO more expensive; blending for affordability; debt/service details align with fact sheet.

General brackish desalination economics corroborated in research facility contexts.

Desalination Plant Fact Sheet” (provided as a shared Google Doc link in the articles: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i-gmOSh1Sr-rXwHerVqs4tgOR9UAABBJ/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=101754664831811042751&rtpof=true&sd=true). This fact sheet details the project’s history, current status, costs, debt, and future pipeline plans.

The series is published under Chris Edwards’ byline via 2nd Life Media platforms (e.g., https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/), a local Alamogordo news outlet.

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