Middle Rio Grande Regional Water Plan

Appendix 8-A. Steering Committee Review of the 2004 Strategies
Page 23 of 24
2004
Strategy
Name
2015
rankings
Complete a
Progress b
Priority c
Strategy Description from Chapter 10.2 of 2004 Plan
2015 Steering Committee Comments
Desalination and Transfer of Water
The 1994 Regional Water Planning Handbook states that “all future water needs must be met by management of the water supply currently available
to the region. If that is not feasible, as supported by analysis in the planning report, other sources of supply may be proposed if feasible in economic
and engineering analysis.” The following 2004 recommendations were proposed to augment the supply from sources outside the region as indicated
in the analyses of substantial regional shortfall.
R8-1—
Develop New
Water
Supplies
through
Desalination
(A-39)
R8-2—
Investigate
the Potential
for Importing
Water (A-69)
N 1 1 Substantial supplies of brackish and saline water exist in New
Mexico. It is estimated that increases in the price of water,
project development time, and technological improvements will
make the desalination and importation of brackish water
practical within twenty years. The recommendation is for the
region to explore the possibility of developing brackish and
saline water supplies, both from sources within and outside of
the region. The region should track technological advances
that would make desalination cost effective. It is further
recommended that the region implement projects that will
make such water available for use within the region or provide
the region with appropriate Rio Grande Compact credits.
N 1 1 Examine the potential of securing and importing large volumes
of water from currently unused sources. This option should be
interpreted broadly to include the availability of water from
sources such as abandoned mines, and desalinated seawater.
Water should not be imported where it would cause
environmental harm or economic hardship to communities in
the watershed from which water is being imported, or where
projects rely upon large federal subsidies provide limited
economic benefits.
In 2011, Sandoval Co. investigated this option
(www.sandovalcounty.com/departments/ planningzoning/p-z-water-studies).
Better technology for dealing
with the produced salts and minerals and for extremely
saline groundwater is needed to make this feasible.
Given its finite nature, it should only be considered as a
supplemental resource.
The 1994 RWP Handbook states that “all future water
needs must be met by management of the water supply
currently available to the region," making this
Recommendation generally unfavored. Taking water from
other regions does not solve problems, just delays their
impacts while at the same time takes water from another
region that may need it.
a Y = Yes, N = No, S = started
b Progress: 1 = Not effective, 5 = Very effective
c Priority: 1 = Low priority; 5 = High priority
Middle Rio Grande Regional Water Plan 2017