Ruidoso to receive state funds for sewer project

Village Manager Debi Lee said the village received notification that the New Mexico Legislature allocated $122,000 for relocation of Ruidoso sewer system lines.

The project previously was presented to the council for approval and was submitted to state Rep. Zach Cook to sponsor.

"This project along with others totaling $10,640,000 was authorized in the House Tax and Revenue Committee," she said. The governor signed the bill.

After a July 2008 flood on the Rio Ruidoso, the Army Corps of Engineers ordered sewage lines removed from the river bed primarily in Upper Canyon or for other measures to prevent contamination of the river water from old cracked lines and damaged manholes. The project will cost more than $20 million, but the largest portion of the cost will be picked up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency because of the flood damage to the lines.

In a related issue, staff conducted a planning meeting to discuss the design and alignment of a sewer line extension in the Pine Cliff subdivision. Lee said property owners are being contacted for approval and execution of utility rights of way easements that are needed to install the sewer line that will allow property owners affected by the Swallow Fire last year to connect to the village system instead of installing new septic systems.

Councilor Jim Stoddard said while councilors all are aware of the necessity of conserving water, especially this year with a light snowpack, "I don't think all our citizens

Lee said she met with Kerry Gladden of The Agency about a complete water conservation campaign to be called the Water Wrangler Program. She will be handing out information to councilors about the campaign soon.

"There will be a lot of press releases, radio announcements, coloring contests in the schools to bring water conservation forward," she said.

The village also will be distributing tablets that can be used to test toilets for leakage from tanks to bowls aimed at decreasing the estimated 25 percent of wasted water from leaking toilet tank flappers.

In view of the limited snowmelt, Stoddard asked if water is bring diverted to Grindstone Reservoir from the Rio Ruidoso, while some significant flow is occurring.

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Ruidoso to receive state funds for sewer project