Albuquerque Water Quality: What New Mexicans Need to Know

Where Does Albuquerque’s Drinking Water Come From?

Albuquerque’s drinking water comes from two sources: surface water and groundwater. Its surface water comes from the Colorado River Basin, including the San Juan-Chama Project, which diverts water from the San Juan River’s tributaries through the Azotea tunnel and a series of reservoirs into the Rio Grande. 

Additional water comes from a groundwater aquifer beneath the city. Although this water needs less treatment than surface water, it’s being drained more quickly than it can be replenished by rainfall. Paved channels divert most of the city’s rainwater into the Rio Grande rather than into the aquifer, limiting its ability to recharge. 

Ultimately, Albuquerque’s drinking water is a mix of the two sources: river water goes through a water treatment plant before it’s mixed with groundwater and introduced to the distribution system. The aquifer is also used to hold excess surface water.

How Clean Is Albuquerque’s Water Supply?

According to the 2023 Water Quality Report, the Water Authority “tests more than 5,500 water samples from wells, storage tanks, customer taps,” and other locations to ensure that it meets national safe drinking water standards. 

But how clean are these water resources to begin with? The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) conducts source water assessments to identify potential sources of contamination, such as pesticide runoff. Its most recent report determined that “no surface water sources ranked higher than moderately high.” 

Albuquerque’s aquifer is highly susceptible to arsenic, however, and some of the Water Authority’s wells have been taken offline due to concentrations of this poisonous heavy metal. Some of Albuquerque’s groundwater must be treated to remove it.

What Is Albuquerque Doing to Protect Its Water Supply?

The City of Albuquerque takes a long-term view to maintaining its drinking water quality. It recently developed a 100-year plan called Water 2120, which focuses on conserving water, building additional storage capacity, and expanding its drinking water supplies with techniques like aquifer storage and recovery (ASR). 

It also has a Drought Demand Reduction Plan, which identifies four stages of drought (Advisory, Watch, Warning, and Emergency), and its response to each one. 

Other strategies include reusing non-potable water at parks, golf courses, and other outdoor locations to reduce the strain on the drinking water system.

How Is Albuquerque’s Drinking Water Treated?

Albuquerque’s drinking water goes through a multi-step treatment process to ensure it meets the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the guidelines of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 

This process includes: 

●      Screens to filter out plant matter and large debris

●      Coagulation, in which ferric chloride is added to cause smaller particles to clump together into groups called “flocs”

●      Flocculation and sedimentation, in which these flocs are allowed to settle so they can be removed

●      Ozone, which is used to break down any remaining matter

●      Filtration, in which silica sand and activated carbon acts as a physical filter

●      Disinfection and stabilization, in which chemicals like chlorine are added to kill viruses and bacteria and stabilize the water to prevent corrosion

●      Fluoridation, in which fluoride is added to the water as a public health measure

How Is Albuquerque’s Water Distributed?

The ABCWUA’s complex distribution system means that Albuquerque water quality can vary from one part of the city to the next. There are 20 distribution zones connected by a network of trunk lines and storage tanks. Each distribution zone conducts voluntary testing every three months to check for contaminants. 

You can look up your distribution zone on their interactive map, or enter your ZIP code here to check your local water quality report. 

For more precise results, you can test your own tap water at home to find out exactly what’s coming out of your tap.

What Contaminants Are Found in Albuquerque’s Water?

Albuquerque’s water sources are treated to meet American drinking water standards, but that doesn’t mean its tap water is free of all contaminants. Some occur naturally, such as arsenic, while others are chemical by-products that are formed during the disinfection process. Here are five contaminants of concern to look out for.

Arsenic

Arsenic is a heavy metal that can cause arsenic toxicity, or arsenicosis, at high doses or with chronic consumption. The Albuquerque Water Authority treats some of its drinking water to remove arsenic, but the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that its arsenic levels exceed public health recommendations by 585 times: 

●      EPA maximum allowance: 10 parts per billion (ppb)

●      EWG recommended maximum: 0.004 ppb

●      Albuquerque maximum contaminant level: 2.34 ppb

Chromium-6 (hexavalent)

Chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, is a chemical that can lead to serious health effects, including cancer and reproductive harm. The EPA doesn’t have a maximum allowance for chromium-6, but the EWG recommends no more than 0.02 ppb. The amount of chromium-6 in Albuquerque exceeds this limit by 49 times: 

●      EPA maximum allowance: No legal limit

●      EWG recommended maximum: 0.02 ppb

●      Albuquerque maximum contaminant level: 0.971 ppb

Haloacetic acids (HAA9)

Haloacetic acids are a group of disinfection byproducts that are left behind after the water treatment process. They can be measured in two groups — HAA5 and HAA9. The EPA hasn’t set a legal limit for HAA9, but the EWG recommends keeping this contaminant level below 0.06 ppb for a one-in-a-million lifetime cancer risk. 

Albuquerque’s water quality is 247 times over this limit: 

●      EPA maximum allowance: No legal limit

●      EWG recommended maximum: 0.06 ppb

●      Albuquerque maximum contaminant level: 14.8 ppb

Nitrate and nitrite

Nitrate and nitrite levels increase the risk of cancer and developmental issues. These chemicals typically get into the water supply through runoff from farms and septic tanks. Although nitrate and nitrite levels are below the EPA’s legal limit of 10 parts per million (ppm), they exceed the EWG’s public health guidance by 2.7 times: 

●      EPA maximum allowance: 10 ppm

●      EWG recommended maximum: 0.14 ppm

●      Albuquerque maximum contaminant level: 0.375 ppm

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Trihalomethanes are another category of disinfection byproducts that’s associated with an elevated cancer risk. Like haloacetic acids, these contaminants are measured as a group called total trihalomethanes (TTHMs). Albuquerque’s water quality is within the legal limit, but 174 times higher than the EWG’s recommended maximum: 

●      EPA maximum allowance: 80 ppb

●      EWG recommended maximum: 0.15 ppb

●      Albuquerque maximum contaminant level: 26.1 ppb

Which Water Filters Will Improve Albuquerque’s Water Quality?

Installing a home water filter can help to improve Albuquerque’s water quality, but it’s important to choose the right filter for your water system. NSF/ANSI ratings tell you which contaminants a filter is certified to remove, such as lead or chlorine. 

Some water filters, such as activated carbon filters, are great at removing disinfection byproducts and improving the taste and smell of your water. Others, such as reverse osmosis filters, can remove additional contaminants like arsenic and lead. 

Water softeners, on the other hand, don’t filter out chemicals, but can remove minerals like calcium and magnesium that may be present in Albuquerque’s water. “Hard” water is safe to drink, but can affect the taste and leave residue on sinks and cookware.

Does Albuquerque’s Tap Water Contain Lead?

Lead pipes are a concern in many parts of the country, since even small quantities of lead in the water can lead to health issues, especially among children. Albuquerque’s water system doesn’t contain lead pipes, so it’s a step ahead of many cities when it comes to meeting the EPA’s lead and copper requirements. 

However, it’s possible that your home may contain lead plumbing, with houses built between 1982 and 1987 considered the most at risk. The ABCWUA has found lead levels as high as 4 ppb at some homes. 

The ABCWUA offers free lead testing to Water Authority customers, while the EPA provides detailed guidance on lead in both English and Spanish.

Is Albuquerque’s Tap Water Radioactive?

In addition to the contaminants listed above, the EWG reports that Albuquerque’s tap water has elevated levels of radium and uranium. Does this mean that Albuquerque’s drinking water is radioactive or poses a risk of radiation poisoning? 

These elevated levels aren’t the result of nuclear testing in New Mexico, but are due to natural deposits eroding in the area. Both contaminants are within the legal limit of 5 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for radium and 20 pCi/L for uranium, although they both exceed the EWG’s recommended limit. 

Fortunately, reverse osmosis filters are effective at removing radium and uranium, so you can take extra precautions by filtering your water before you drink it.

Is It Safe to Drink the Water in New Mexico?

Albuquerque’s tap water meets the EPA’s water quality standards, but it has concerning levels of some contaminants, including arsenic and disinfection byproducts. Other cities in New Mexico, including Santa Fe, have similar contaminant levels. Residents of New Mexico may want to use a water filter to improve the taste and quality of their water. 

Both activated carbon and reverse osmosis (RO) filters can make a difference, but an RO system may be a better match for Albuquerque water quality. 

Consider installing the HomeWater 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis Under Counter Water Filter to remove lead, copper, chlorine, nitrate and nitrite, radium, and more.