Many of New Mexico’s estimated 130,000 private wells contain high levels of naturally-occurring toxic elements such as uranium, radium, and arsenic. Private domestic wells are not regulated under the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and well owners often lack reliable and thorough information about the quality of their drinking water and available treatment options. Basic testing equipment fails to detect most groundwater contaminants, and groundwater containing multiple contaminants further complicates treatment needs.
The Ramah-Española Basin leveraged project assisted water treatment companies by educating their target market—private well owners—about the quality of their drinking water, and by providing the companies with needed data about groundwater quality and treatment options. SNL and LANL collaborated with the participating small businesses, tribal government, state agencies, and local governments to conduct water fairs in Ramah and Santa Fe areas. In the Santa Fe area, more than 500 private well owners had their water analyzed for over 50 contaminants and water quality parameters.
Patrick Longmire, an aqueous geochemist at LANL, and his team of Benjamin Linhoff and Michael Rearick, oversaw the water fair and conducted the water chemistry analyses. The well owners were provided with confidential data about their water quality, and LANL created regional groundwater quality maps that identify areas of natural mineralization and contamination. In the Ramah area, Malcolm Siegel, an environmental scientist at SNL, teamed with local businesses to evaluate water quality on and near the Navajo Reservation. The information about groundwater quality is being used by the NMSBA companies in both areas to identify potential customers and offer appropriate, inexpensive point-of-use treatment systems, and develop and evaluate innovative treatment technologies.
Small business participants in the project include Good Water Company, National Water Services Inc., and Watermatters, LLC, Santa Fe; Inscription Rock Trading & Coffee Company and Tayshas Traders, Ramah; HydraTech of New Mexico, Corrales; Mesa Canyon Water and Wastewater Operations, Farmington; Castillo Clear Water, LLC, Kirtland; and MIOX Corporation, Albuquerque.
