The Power of Information

National Drinking Water Database


New Mexico

616 systems serving 1,657,756 people

This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in New Mexico, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the New Mexico Environment Department. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.



 
Chemicals
Water Utilities
Population Served
Detected Chemicals
96
616
1,633,045
Exceed health guidelines*
46
547
1,613,642
Exceed Legal Limits*
24
118
433,287
Unregulated chemicals detected
24
218
1,187,481
* Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.

46 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits

Contaminants detected in New Mexico drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities

Contaminant
Population
Number of Systems
At Any Level Above Health Limits At Any Level Above Health Limits
Bromoform1,456,0031,456,003297297
Dibromochloromethane1,417,1781,387,408294260
Bromodichloromethane1,272,6401,272,640230230
Total haloacetic acids (HAAs)1,284,4951,243,482269237
Combined Uranium (mg/L)1,200,9181,200,918236236
Dichloroacetic acid1,005,0551,005,055139139
Arsenic (total)977,554977,554144144
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)1,485,475970,417334148
Combined Radium (-226 & -228)776,018776,018242242
Radium-228744,369744,369209209

Water Utilities in New Mexico Reporting Chemicals Exceeding Health Guidelines

Water utilities in New Mexico reporting chemicals exceeding health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities, include:

System
Population
Chemicals tested
Chemicals found
Chemicals exceeding
health guidelines
Las Cruces Municipal Water System81,0251423521
Clayton Municipal Supply2,4011174320
Hobbs Municipal Water Supply28,7501422719
City of Santa FE Water System70,0011463219
Anthony W&sd7,1251412817
Village of Tijeras1,2001892716
Hidden Valley Ranch35902415
Miami Water Users Association150832115
Bloomfield Water Supply System6,7251352315
LA Mesa Mdwca9801382515
Lakeshore City Sanitation District984542714
Dona Ana Mdwca8,9291182214
Hyde Park Estates Water Users Assoc1831372314
Elephant Butte Water System1,4291192514
Las Alturas Estates650522514
Garfield Mdwca2,3941313014
Deming Municipal Water System15,5361402514
City of Raton/Raton Water Works8,0921222114
Springer Water System2,000902214
San Acacia Mdwca1521352214

Sources of New Mexico Drinking Water Contaminants

The contaminants identified in New Mexico drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.

96Total Contaminants Detected (2004 - 2008)
21Agricultural Pollutants
(pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

Arsenic (total), Cyanide, Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Picloram, Dinoseb, Aldicarb sulfoxide, Butachlor, 2,4-D, Bromomethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Chlordane, o-Dichlorobenzene, p-Dichlorobenzene, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Ethylbenzene, Perchlorate

29Sprawl and Urban Pollutants
(road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Tetrachloroethylene, MTBE, Nitrite, Xylenes (total), Cadmium (total), Antimony (total), Mercury (total inorganic), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Cyanide, o-Xylene, Foaming agents (surfactants), Benzene, Acetone, p-Dichlorobenzene, Methyl ethyl ketone, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di-n-butylphthalate, 2,4-D, Naphthalene, m-Xylene, Chlordane, Benzo[a]pyrene, n-Propylbenzene, Bromobenzene

70Industrial Pollutants

Aluminum, Arsenic (total), Chlorite, Barium (total), Cadmium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Antimony (total), Beryllium (total), Thallium (total), Asbestos, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Chloromethane, Acetone, Methyl ethyl ketone, Naphthalene, MTBE, Tetrahydrofuran, Di-n-butylphthalate, Pentachlorophenol, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Dibromomethane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, n-Butylbenzene, 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Xylenes (total), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), p-Dichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Bromobenzene, Isopropylbenzene, m-Xylene, Styrene, o-Xylene, n-Propylbenzene, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Uranium-238, Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Perchlorate, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)

22Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts
(pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromoform, Dibromoacetic acid, Monochloroacetic acid, Bromochloroacetic acid, Monobromoacetic acid, Chlorite, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Cadmium (total), Chloromethane, Bromate, Vinyl chloride, Asbestos, Dibromomethane, Bromochloromethane, Benzo[a]pyrene

23Naturally Occurring
(naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Barium (total), Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Manganese, Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Chromium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Aluminum, Selenium (total), Nitrite, Radon, Mercury (total inorganic), Chloromethane, Cyanide, Uranium-238

25Unregulated Contaminants
EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants

Lead (total), Aldicarb sulfoxide, Butachlor, Chloromethane, Bromomethane, Acetone, Methyl ethyl ketone, Naphthalene, MTBE, Tetrahydrofuran, Di-n-butylphthalate, Dibromomethane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, n-Butylbenzene, 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Bromochloroacetic acid, Bromobenzene, Isopropylbenzene, n-Propylbenzene, Radon, Perchlorate, Uranium-234 (pCi/L), Uranium-238 (pCi/L)

Testing Summary for New Mexico

The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.

Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in New Mexico225
 Contaminants tested due to federal law: 96
 Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: 129

Violation Summary for New Mexico

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in New Mexico since 2004

Violation TypeNumber of Violations
Failure to monitor regularly993
Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report430
Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule396
Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria)358
Over maximum contaminant level, Average339
Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria)316
Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations156
Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria)124
Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria)94
Inadequate reporting of information to the public90
Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling83
Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule)66
Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample46
Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria)40
Failure to notify state agency28
Failure to notify public of violation28
Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper24
Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination)22
Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU21
Operations Report10
Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria)10
Improper Treatment Techniques9
Record Keeping Violation9
Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU7
Failure to Filter (Surface Water Treatment Rule)6
Treatment Technique No Certif. Operator4
Filter Turbidity Reporting3
Non-Acute maximum residual disinfectant level1
Public Education1
Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting1
Failure to monitor: Check/Repeat/Confirmation sampling1
Other Non-National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Potential Health Risks1
Sanitary Survey (Coliform bacteria)1