In eastern New Mexico, a $60 million water pipeline project known as Finished Water 1 (FW1) is underway to combat critical water shortages caused by declining aquifer levels. The project, part of the Ute Pipeline system, aims to deliver potable water from Ute Reservoir to various communities by 2031. Federally funded with state and local support, the initiative is crucial for ensuring water security and sustainability for future generations.
Photo courtesy of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority
Komatsu PC490LC excavators work in tandem on the pipeline project.
As part of an ongoing effort to combat a critical water shortage, construction crews are building more than 15 mi. of water pipeline in Clovis, N.M.
The $60 million project, known as Finished Water 1 (FW1), is part of a larger effort overseen by the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority (ENMWUA).
"A number of things are being done to address the problem, but the pipeline is the lynchpin," said Clovis Mayor Mike Morris, chairman of the ENMWUA. "It brings a new and renewable source into the picture and will give us the opportunity to have water security and sustainability into the future."
Photo courtesy of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority
Southland subsidiary Oscar Renda Contracting of Grapevine, Texas, serves as the general contractor on the FW1 project.
A formal groundbreaking for FW1 took place in August 2023. The effort is a portion of the larger Ute Pipeline project, created to deliver potable water from the Ute Reservoir to Clovis, Portales, Elida, Texico and Cannon Air Force Base. This is made possible by constructing a 15.5-mi. transmission pipeline extending from northwest of Cannon Air Force Base to a future water treatment plant site.
Ute Reservoir in northeastern New Mexico on the Canadian River is the source of more than 16,000 acre-ft. per year of water intended for the various communities affected, along with unincorporated areas in Roosevelt and Curry counties.
The shortage is caused by the steady decline in water level in the Ogallala Aquifer, which is the sole source of municipal and agricultural water for much of the region.
The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System (ENMRWS) project includes a water intake facility to divert surface water from Ute Reservoir; a water treatment facility with an average capacity of 15 million gallons per day (mgd) and peak capacity of 28 mgd, with more than 90 mi. of water supply pipes and 60-plus mi. of lateral pipes.
Morris said affected communities have patiently waited for a solution to a growing problem.
"It's a serious issue when we see our neighbors struggling to keep up with the demand to provide water to their residents. That's why it's so rewarding to watch the construction taking place, as far as the amount of work required to open that trench and the skill and experience required to operate those excavators.
"The incredible infrastructure going into the ground will soon be buried and out of mind, but for many decades into the future, it will be the answer going forward."
Construction tasks are being performed using a variety of heavy machinery, including Cat and Komatsu equipment. One of the chief materials required to complete the work is a supply of 39-in. welded steel pipe.
The ENMRWS project is financially supported by the federal government for up to 75 percent of the cost. The remainder comes from the state and local member communities.
In late 2021, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill earmarked $1 billion toward completing the federally authorized Rural Water projects under the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
The ENMWUA is among the recipients to receive funding to complete the construction of the ENMRWS, with the money distributed over five years.
Photo courtesy of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority
The ambitious ENMRWS project is scheduled to be completed by 2031. For Morris, playing a role in an undertaking that will serve countless individuals is beyond gratifying.
"It's humbling. Seeing that pipeline and knowing what it's going to mean is incredible. It's going to make the lives of eastern New Mexicans so much more successful and fruitful, and it's all because of partnerships. It's such a heavy lift. Making this happen is a true team effort."
He also said the need to be proactive can't be overstated.
"We don't necessarily think about how fragile our future is without the planning," Morris said. "As our neighboring communities have struggled with the water supply and meeting the demand, it's really brought to light for us all that groundwater on the High Plains must be considered as finite. We are going to run out at some point, and it will be difficult to meet minimum requirements. That's becoming more and more real for a lot of folks.
"We want to complete this project and the other plans under way to create a water-secure future, so that future generations can take for granted there's going to be water coming out of that faucet." CEG
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