Thursday, June 23, 2022The Little Village That Couldn't; Chama Water Woes Result Of Years Of Neglect That's a declaration that gets a whole lot of attention from residents of our high desert climate state, even if it is impacting a tiny enclave of about 1,000 nestled close to the Colorado border. Lack of water is always on the subconscious here as we fall in and out of drought. But Chama's water woes were not caused by a lack of water, they were caused by incompetence and a lack of caring about maintaining the water system: Village mayor pro tem Matthew Gallegos said they did not have an estimate on when water would be turned back on but a company to help identify the leak in the water line would be available on Thursday. “We did the water plan three years ago and we secured money to fix that water plant,” Gallegos said. “I don’t know who dropped the ball but the new design of the plant imploded and we had to spend our own savings account to fix it. It’s never worked, we’ve always been behind the ball and it’s just gotten worse and worse.” But it wasn't only three years ago that things "imploded": A 2016 report by the New Mexico State Engineer’s Office found the village of Chama’s water system frequently struggled with “bacteria and other organisms in its surface water,” and cited turbidity as a common issue in the Rio Chama area. . . In the past decade, the Environment Department has found the village in violation 21 times, mostly for failing to report samples of dangerous substances in the water. It seems a culture of apathy took hold in Chama, a serene outpost that attracts thousands of summer visitors and a fair share in the winter as well. We've also seen that attitude take hold on occasion in the village's big brother neighbors. In Santa Fe multiple administrations have presided over sloppy financial practices and in ABQ’s APD a years-long culture of anything goes brought in the US Justice Department to supervise the department. Two years ago Chama residents were forced to boil their water to keep it safe. Now they don't even have that option and are relying on water brought in by the state. And it's not like Chama is broke. They have $800,000 in state capital outlay approved for their water problems but it has sat there---until now. Chama is a village that holds much charm and is a jewel in the New Mexico crown. If you go be sure to say hello to the mayor and village councilors for us--after you wake them from their naps. And remember to BYOB. THE BOTTOM LINES ABQ Mayor Tim Keller delivers his state of the city address Saturday morning in a party like atmosphere at the downtown Rail Yards. . . GOP Guv candidate Mark Ronchetti has released a plan to fight crime while MLG continues her advertising blitz defending her crime record. . .The AP takes a look at the growing political divide between rural and urban New Mexico, accentuated by the reluctance of the Otero County Commission to certify the county's primary election results, This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2022 |
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