The yearly consumer confidence report on Truth or Consequences’ water quality was published in the Sentinel today, as required by the New Mexico Environment Department.
Some of the sample data is six years old. None of the contaminants exceed danger limits, according to the test results. I called the head of the water and wastewater department, Arnulfo Castaneda, as suggested at the bottom of the ad, and asked him why the data is so old. He said the NMED samples are used to put together the report and the requirements for testing various chemicals and contaminates vary, some being tested yearly and some every five years.
But the city tests the water much more often; why not use that data, I asked. The city tests the water monthly, Castaneda said, but those sample results are not allowed to be used as the basis of the water quality report, only NMED samples can be used.
I asked why the 2022 water quality report was coming out so late and Castaneda said he was within NMED guidelines.
I asked Castaneda about the state of our eight wells and he said, “We don’t have eight wells.” We do according to NMED documents available online, I said, and when I submitted an Inspection of Public Records Act Request to the city in December 2020 for a water production report, all eight wells were acknowledged, although only wells 1, 2 and 6 were working.
Castaneda said wells, 1, 2, 7, 8 and 4 are operating and he has hired a company to work on well 6.
Well 6 received extensive work in 2021, I said, around $100,000 if I remembered correctly. The pump motor was essentially rebuilt and the well emptied and acid washed. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “It needs maintenance.” After more questions, he said the pump had problems. He was unaware that well 6 had been worked on two years ago and said he would have known about it if it had been. I invited him to look up the invitation to bid documents that are posted on the city’s “purchasing” web page.
Castaneda then said he had to go, no more time to talk. So much for building confidence in our water quality.
Back in the mid 70’s the abandoned mining town of Madrid, 25 miles south of Santa Fe on Hwy 14 was sold by the owner of the town and surrounding defunct coal mines to a variety of counter-culture folks (hippies) who had squatted in the coal dust saturated houses for around $1500 each (10% down and the balance at 10% for 10 years. These free spirited folks (full disclosure – who were my PTA) soon discovered that their leaky water pipes were running right next to their leaky sewer pipes. They became aware that, suddenly, THEY were the “town fathers and mothers”!! They organized and applied for grants and got them fixed, started their own fire department and loosely organized town government. Today, the town recently added their 800th new citizen and property values are through the roof. Their counter culture mystique hangs in there still and all flavors and incomes are still celebrated.
It’s sad, if not criminal, that this town in its 100+ year history has failed to keep its infrastructure from crumbling, it’s streets passable and its citizens sharing the beneficence of its riverine location over a hot water aquifer. Better, maybe, that we find some old (or new) hippie types to take over its governance and put Hot Springs back on a path to self sustaining, legitimate prosperity. This is NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!! it’s about working together for the benefit of ALL!!