Water Supply and Distribution.
The water supply and distribution system required of any development is dependent upon the nature of the development, the Sustainable Development Area (SDA) in which the development is located, and the proximity of the development to public water and wastewater infrastructure.
General Requirements.
Water and wastewater systems required.
Each development shall provide water and wastewater systems within the development as required by this Section.
Construction standards.
1. Water and wastewater systems shall comply with all applicable construction and operational standards of the SLDC and applicable federal and State law.
2. Water and wastewater infrastructure that will become a part of the County’s water and wastewater utility, either upon completion of the development or when service becomes available, shall be constructed to the current standards established by the County’s water and wastewater utility construction specifications. Each such facility shall be constructed so as to permit connection to the County utility when such a connection becomes feasible.
3. Water and wastewater infrastructure that will become part of the water and wastewater system of another entity shall be constructed to meet the standards established by that entity.
Readiness.
Each applicant for a development order shall establish in writing that a proposed service provider (County utility, mutual domestic water association, water and sanitation district, municipal water or wastewater utility, water or wastewater cooperative) is ready, willing, and able to provide service. The applicant shall provide such additional details concerning the proposed service provider and its readiness to provide service as the Administrator may deem appropriate.
Required connection to the County, or a public water and wastewater system.
Persons desiring to develop property may be required to connect to the County’s water and wastewater utility for water and wastewater service as described in
§ 7.13.3 Required Connection to County Water and Wastewater, or connect to a public or publicly-regulated water and wastewater system as described in
§ 7.13.4, or to self-supply water and wastewater service as described in
§ 7.13.5 Self-suppliedwater and wastewater systems. In addition, provision of water and wastewater services by the County utility or public water and wastewater systems is required as a condition of certain zoning districts.
See
Table 7-17-1 and
Table 7-17-2.
Quantity and Quality in General.
Each development shall be required to provide water in adequate quantity and quality to meet the needs of a proposed development for ninety-nine (99) years. Regardless of the source of water supply, for planning purposes, the minimum required water supply assumed to be required for development of any type shall be 0.25 acre-feet per residential dwelling per annum notwithstanding that the owner or developer claims that less water is to be used. The Administrator may reduce this planning assumption to the actual amount of water expected to be used given the type of construction and use contemplated upon a showing from the applicant that a lesser planning figure is reasonable. Annual water use limitations are established in
§ 7.13.11 Water Conservation of the SLDC, and shall also apply.
Water Service Availability Report.
The Water Service Availability Report (WSAR) required by
CHAPTER 6: STUDIES, REPORTS AND ASSESSMENTS (SRAs) shall provide details on the source of water, including whether the source of water will be the County, public or publicly-regulated water system, and shall discuss in detail any required water supply infrastructure to be provided (its cost, details of the design and construction, construction schedule, financing of design, construction cost, and operational cost including capital replacement), and shall discuss in detail whether the proposed system is capable of meeting the water requirements of the development as required by the SLDC. See
Table 7-19.
All water systems provided in connection with a development shall provide water of an acceptable quality for human consumption that meets or exceeds water quality standards established pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the New Mexico Water Quality Act, and regulations promulgated by the NMED and the Water Quality Control Commission.
Any “public water system” as defined in regulations of the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (20.7.10.7 NMAC) shall meet or exceed the requirements and standards of 20.7.10.1 NMAC et seq., and the Environmental Improvement Act, NMSA 1978, § 74-1-1 et seq. and the regulations of the New Mexico Environment Improvement Board.
Any “public water system” as defined in regulations of the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (20.7.10.7 NMAC) shall, as applicable, obtain written permission to commence or continue operations from the New Mexico Environment Department.
A written water quality test that confirms that the water system meets or exceeds the standards described in this Section shall be provided; if a reconnaissance report is provided in lieu of a hydrologic report, a test may be provided from a well within one (1) mile of the proposed well, but shall be confirmed with the test of the actual well following completion.
