Login

City posts drinking water report

Print

Details of water conservation, contaminants, more

The City of Gallup recently received the results of the 2019 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, which covers the test results from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019.

The report says the city’s water is monitored for different contaminants on a strict sampling schedule. Potential contaminants include alpha emitters, arsenic, barium, nitrate, and uranium, among others.

The goal is to keep the levels of contaminants detected below the  maximum-allowed level. None of the regulated substances monitored by the city were above the maximum, so the city received no violations.

Per the report, Gallup’s water comes from 16 wells tapping underground supplies from two main underground aquifers: the Gallup Sandstone and the Dakota-Westwater. These two wells are located up to 10 miles from the city center and can be up to 3,500 feet deep.

Given the wells are not likely to come into contact with surface water, they are likely to be protected from outside contamination.

That positive news is balanced by the fact that the underground wells are not being replenished, meaning the city could face water shortages in the “not-too-distant” future.

The most cost-effective source of water in recent years has been water conservation.

One of Gallup’s primary methods of conserving water is through a program administered by the Water Conservation Coordinator at the Utilities and Engineering Service. It includes replacement of  high-flow toilets, shower heads, washing machines, and restaurant dishwashing equipment throughout the city.

Another major future contributor to Gallup’s drinking water is the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project, which is scheduled for completion in 2025. It was approved for construction in 2009. The Gallup portion of the project is expected to provide over 13,000 acre feet of drinking water to the City of Gallup, Navajo Chapters and surrounding rural areas.

The report contains a statement from former Mayor Jackie McKinney stating that the city is committed to providing the best quality drinking water it can for its citizens and is looking for new methods to do so.

“As new requirements for drinking water safety become known, [the city] remains persistent in meeting the goals of source water protection, water conservation, and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all our water users,” he said.

The full report is available at https://consumerconfidence.report/reports/GallupNM2019.pdf.

By Cody Begaye
Sun Correspondent

Share/Save/Bookmark