What’s On Tap?
Safety and security are our top priorities. The City of Aztec strives to deliver safe drinking water to our customers and to keep the utility secure and protected.
Where Does My Water Come From?
Aztec, until 1951, was on well water. Currently we rely on surface water from the Aztec Ditch, Lower Animas Ditch, and the Animas River. The Aztec Ditch runs near Cedar Hill to Aztec High School. It feeds directly into the Lower Reservoir at the treatment plant on Highway 173, past of Highway 550. The Lower Animas Ditch runs from Centerpoint to just north of Aztec High School and continues out to South Side River Road. The Animas River runs through the center of town.
How Is My Water Treated?
Aztec treats your water using disinfection and filtration to remove or reduce harmful contaminants that comes from the source water.
Where Can I Get More Information?
For more information about your drinking water and for opportunities to get more involved, please contact Ron Montoya by calling (505) 334-7610 or by writing to this address 201 W. Chaco, Aztec, NM 87410 Also, you are welcome and encouraged to attend City Council Meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the City Administration Building, call for time (505) 334-7600
Additional Health Information:
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
Information About Our Plant:
In 1951 we built a 0.5 million gallons per day (mgd) plant. In 1964 due to the influx of oil field workers, we built another 1 mgd plant. In 1975 Aztec added a 1.5 mgd plant and closed the original 0.5 mgd plant. In 1996 a 2-unit treatment plant, which is capable of producing 4 mgd, was added. Our daily demand is usually about 3 mgd in the summer. This amount is rising as the city grows. We are currently repairing 2 older plants, which are still usable. Combining all plants together, we are capable of 6.5 mgd.
What Else Should I Know?
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, Oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a vari-ety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of indus-trial processes and petroleum production, and can, also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occur-ring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.