Water Studies, Programs, and Projects

This page includes water-related studies, programs, reports, and planning resources for Santa Fe County. Materials will be updated as reports, recommendations, and next steps become available.

La Cienega La Cieneguilla Preliminary Engineering Report (PER)
Final Report to provide findings and recommendations for replenishing the aquifer and restoring the springs

La Cienega La Cieneguilla Domestic Well Monitoring Report
Domestic well monitoring pilot program to ensure the sustainability of local water supplies. The project aims to better understand local groundwater levels and trends, identify requirements that apply to different wells, estimate current water demand, and project future water demand. Depending on the project’s findings, water conservation goals, enforcement of existing requirements, new ordinances, and/or other programs may be recommended.

La Cienega La Cieneguilla Domestic Well Monitoring Report Phase II
Final report on the pilot program establishing next steps for implementing the Domestic Well Use Metering Program.

Online GSI Guidebook
Online GSI Guidebook provides researched benefits information, technical specifications and maintenance for rural and urban land contuoring as well as raingardens and water catchment best practice instructions for erosion control and rainwater harvesting/passive irrigation. Complete with visuals and plant list. GSI Storymap provides locations of existing raingardens throughout City/County and usage/operational details: demonstration raingarden site tour map.

Santa Fe County Aquifer Storage & Recharge (ASR) Feasibility Report
Final Report will provide a proposed project description including recharge & recovery locations, summarize the permit process and application information to OSE & NMED, provide high-level identification of technologies for advanced water treatment suitable to achieve quality required for recharge, evaluate & compare options for treatment, pipe alignments, pumping if needed, basin improvements, and injection/extraction wells, provide a preliminary engineer’s opinion of probable cost (EOPC) for options, compare options & recommend a project, and provide a preliminary implementation schedule

Santa Fe County Regional Effluent Management Plan
Final Report will provide recommendations for collaborative water reuse and sustainability, to consider findings from 2017 Water Reuse Feasibility Study to offset potable demand with reclaimed water and the County's long-range water planning process with City of Santa Fe

Santa Fe County Water and Wastewater Utility Cost of Service, Rate Study, Regional Rate Comparison, and Utility Reserve Account Study
Study to evaluate the County's water and wastewater utility cost of service and rate structure, regional rate comparison, and utility reserve account needs. Final report will provide recommendations to support financially sustainable utility operations, long-term capital planning, reserve funding, and future-rate setting considerations. RFP/procurement process currently underway.

Domestic Wells Metering Program
Per the Sustainable Land Development Code section 7.13.11.5, all developments utilizing a well shall participate in the domestic well metering program.

MS4 Stormwater Program
Regulatory reporting of contamination and surface waters

Water Policy Advisory Committee (WPAC)
The WPAC is a working committee that augments SFCo staff resources by bringing independent expertise, research, and effort to its assigned work.