Next step - Office of State Engineer’s review
GRANTS, N.M. - The City of Grants Water Conservation Plan committee held its final workshop on Feb. 10. This was the fourth session in the process, which focused on developing strategies to ensure, protect, and improve the municipal water supply and infrastructure.
The plan identified three levels of drought severity and proposed actions by city officials to protect this natural resource.
Options - based on the severity level
• Level 1, Drought Alert phase, is implemented for any single or combination of the following: The State of New Mexico declares the region to be in moderate-to-severe drought; when, in the opinion of the city manager (or designee), the supply of water is inadequate; seasonally from May to September each year.
Proposed actions include urging all users to implement water conservation efforts, especially top users; a recommendation to irrigate lawns and gardens before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.; ensure that city employees monitor the municipal well drawdown in anticipation of more severe drought conditions.
Potential responses include distributing educational materials focused on existing drought levels to top water users and what will be required if conditions worsen plus utilizing Public Service Announcements about drought severity and recommending watering times for outdoor areas.
City officials will insert flyers into utility billing statements, place social media posts on Twitter and Facebook, make PSA announcements via radio broadcasts, and purchase newspaper ads to educate residents about the Grants Water Conservation Plan.
• Level 2, Extreme Drought Phase, is implemented when Level 1 criteria have occurred for any single or combination of the following criteria: when State issues a declaration of extreme drought or higher for this region; when the city manager designates the water supply as inadequate to meet demand; when municipal well drawdown occurs; when user demand exceeds supply for two consecutive days.
Potential regulations include enforcing lawn and garden watering before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., requesting top water users’ conservation plans, drastic reduction in irrigation on city-owned spaces, and enforcing mandatory repairs of leaks.
Proposed implementation includes the same measures as Level 1 to inform the public about drought severity, enforce a tiered fine structure for noncompliance, and create a system for residents to report incidents of water waste.
• Level 3, Water Management Alert/Emergency, is implemented when for any single or combination of the following occurs: the water supply and/or distribution has been determined to be contaminated; when equipment failure rather than source supply results in the system not meeting current demands; when the city manager deems the supply as inadequate; when demand exceeds supply for two consecutive days.
Proposed actions include enforcing irrigation of lawns and gardens before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., requesting top water users’ conservation plans, drastic reduction in irrigation of city-owned properties, enforcement of mandatory leak repairs along with imposing a boilwater mandate.
Potential responses include connecting into the Village of Milan water system, implementing the city’s Emergency Response Plan, which identifies specific scenarios, and implementing Level 2 actions.
Next steps
Finalizing the draft Water Conservation Plan is the next step before submitting the document to Office of the State Engineer for review, according to Engineering Intern Nancy Peay, Smith Engineering Company. The city has collaborated with Smith Engineering Company to develop the plan, which will enable Grants to apply for available funding to protect water resources and respond to drought conditions.
Visit cityofgrants.net or call 505-287-7927 for more information.