Southern NM water utility rate increase goes into effect today

A sign captured outside of the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority on Dec. 19, 2023. NMED issued a notice of violation saying CRRUA failed to inform the agency or the public that all three arsenic treatment plants were bypassed and offline for a year, meaning that water with 'high levels of arsenic' were sent to customers. (Danielle Prokop/Source NM)

Water and sewage minimum rates at the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority will increase by at least $9 for residents, after a rate increase approved in 2019 was never put into place under the former management, utility officials said.

The new rates will go into effect today.

The utility, often called CRRUA, serves households in Sunland Park, Santa Teresa and the southern portion of Doña Ana County.

The troubled utility is under scrutiny from state officials and is also undergoing a third-party audit of its operations. This happened after it came to light that the utility sent water untreated for high levels of arsenic to customers for over a year.

CRRUA has been performing both voluntary and state-mandated tests to check arsenic levels. While it has passed six of them, the most recent tests taken on June 12, showed one treatment plant sample violated federal drinking water standards for arsenic.

According to a press release issued Friday, June 28, the utility said the issues were resolved within hours, and that the level of arsenic was below the 10 part per billion federal limit.

According to the utility in February 2019, the former CRRUA board of directors approved a rate structure to increase sewage and water rates automatically. It would have increased rates at fixed percentages of 1.5%, 6% or aligned with inflation measures, according to the utility.

“However, the rate adjustments approved by the board in 2019 were never implemented under the previous administration,” the utility said in a May press release.

Without raising rates, the utility cannot meet operating costs, such as preventative maintenance, upgrades, government compliance and staffing, said CRRUA executive director Juan Carlos Crosby.

“CRRUA’s infrastructure has a total replacement cost of $81.5 million,” Crosby said in a written announcement about the increased rates.

The current board is in a lame-duck position, as the makeup is expected to change significantly in the coming months, as Doña Ana County and the city of Sunland Park select new board members.

The last rate increase successfully implemented was in July of 2019, according to the utility.

Instead of incremental increases for Sunland Park, Santa Teresa and other Doña Ana county residents, these people will see double-digit jumps in their water bill.

Minimum water rates on the first 3,000 gallons will increase by 18%, which could be between$15 and $17.83 costs increase for households.

Sewage minimum rates will increase 30% from $20.62 to $27.

Additionally, minimum water rates will increase just over 6% for businesses, along with a 5% increase in sewage rates.

Non-residential Water Rates

Non-residential Wastewater Rates

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