Sunland Park and Santa Teresa residents request state investigation of CRRUA

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — The troubled utility that serves Sunland Park and Santa Teresa is in trouble after residents called on the New Mexico State Department of Justice to investigate the company over alleged environmental violations.

On Friday, August 2, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Sunland Park and Santa Teresa residents, filed a request with the state Department of Justice and the Office of the State Auditor to investigate the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) for several alleged violations.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, which represents the residents, said:

As a public utility, it is the CRRUA’s responsibility to ensure that the communities it serves are always provided with clean and safe water. Yet, the CRRUA continues to place the burden and blame for the ongoing water crisis on the public, without regard to the harm that the community in Sunland Park and Santa Teresa has already suffered and continues to suffer.

RELATED:CRRUA detects elevated arsenic levels in a water treatment plant in Santa Teresa

In the 24-page official petition, residents question the quality of the water after several reports of unacceptable levels of arsenic in the water. They also accuse the CRRUA of violating several environmental protection laws, including:

• The federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
• The implementing regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency.
• The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Act.
• New Mexico drinking water regulations.

RELATED:Camino Real Regional Utility Authority avoids KFOX14 amid ongoing water quality concerns

The inquiry also accuses the CRRUA of not having informed residents in a timely manner about pollutants in the water.

According to the inquiry, the CRRUA exceeded maximum levels for arsenic contamination for two consecutive days in June and did not issue a public notice for two weeks, even though federal and state law requires the CRRUA to issue a public notice within 24 hours of discovering contamination in the public water supply.

Residents are also calling for an investigation into a possible violation of the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, alleging that the CRRUA repeatedly cancels and reschedules public meetings without warning in an effort to limit public attendance and participation.

RELATED:Southern New Mexico water utility town hall meeting leaves residents dissatisfied and questions unanswered

The request also accuses CRRUA of waste, fraud and/or misuse of state and federal funds.

Residents accuse the utility of raising its rates even though it receives government funding to address their arsenic and discolored water problems.

RELATED:Congressman Vasquez calls for $2.5 million for clean drinking water in Doña Ana County

Daisy Maldonado, director of Empowerment Congress NM – a community organization that advocates for rural communities in Doña Ana County – said:

Given CRRUA’s long history of supplying unsafe and undrinkable water, it is scandalous that the company is now raising its prices, essentially shifting the responsibility for its ability to supply safe and clean drinking water onto its customers.

Read the resident’s official request to New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez below:

RELATED:State of New Mexico calls for Justice Department investigation into CRRUA and Sunland Park water problems

Residents of southern New Mexico said it is time to hold CRRUA accountable after years of “bad decisions.”

“CRRUA’s actions in our community are a testament to environmental injustice and poor decision making. For many years, inadequate treatment and testing by CRRUA has led to a number of serious water quality and health problems in our community,” said Santa Teresa resident Vivian Fuller.

“It is important for me and the community to file this request for an investigation so that we can resolve the problems that have been going on for so long, since the arsenic was found, without a solution. No one is allowed to bathe in the water. Now the children are being sent home from school with notes saying to bring their own water and not drink the water at school. If the water is as safe as CRRUA claims, why are they sending the school children home with notes saying not to drink our water, bring their own? That doesn’t make sense,” said Jose Saldana of Sunland Park.

RELATED:Community Conversations: Lawyers discuss the fight for clean water and the “incompetence” of the CRRUA

For more information about the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, the organization that represents residents, visit NMELC.org.

To learn more about the mission and vision of the Empowerment Congress of Doña Ana County, visit EMPowerNM.org or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

To stay up to date with CRRUA updates, meetings and announcements, visit their website at CRRUA.org or follow them on Facebook.

Sign up to receive the most interesting stories from our community and the surrounding area in your inbox once a day.