Some $84.5 million in federal funding has now been secured for a wide variety of water infrastructure projects in New Mexico.
The funding is coming through the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act and will see, among other things, $22 million going for new water and wastewater infrastructure in Espanola, as well as $15.5 million for water infrastructure work in Farmington.
The funding was earlier inserted into the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, which ended up becoming a part of the massive $768 billion defense bill.
“Water is ground zero for climate change, and communities across New Mexico and the West are facing rapid hydrologic change,” said New Mexico Representative Melanie Stansbury in a statement celebrating the legislation.
Another supporter of the measure, New Mexico Representative Leger Fernandez, said the bill “includes provisions that are important to New Mexicans, like greater funding and protection for our acequias and water infrastructure, and funding to clean up environmental contamination.”
The bill also includes $2.9 million for wastewater infrastructure in Mora County; and a big $21 million for water and wastewater infrastructure work in Santa Fe.
Up to $27 million will go for to the Acequia Irrigation System in a specific effort to upgrade vulnerable acequia systems throughout the state.
Altogether, the Water Resources Development Act provides just over $25 billion to a wide array of water infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, and flood mitigation infrastructure across the country.
By Garry Boulard
