Enchantment State News

The House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee in New Mexico is set to review a revised bill aimed at establishing a Strategic Water Supply program. The modified legislation, known as HB 137, focuses on creating funding pathways for brackish water projects throughout the state. This initiative is part of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s broader 50-Year Water Action Plan, which seeks to safeguard New Mexico's freshwater resources by promoting the use of salty underground water for manufacturing and clean energy needs.

The changes to the bill come after concerns were raised regarding its initial inclusion of projects involving the reuse of treated produced water from oil and gas production. In response, Rep. Susan Herrera and Sen. George Muñoz have proposed removing these provisions from the program. "The Strategic Water Supply is too important to let its produced water provisions be the reason it doesn’t pass," said Rep. Herrera. She expressed her intention to revisit produced water legislation in future sessions.

Despite this modification, Gov. Lujan Grisham continues to support research into produced water treatment as a means of securing long-term water availability in New Mexico. The State of the Science Symposium held in June 2024 highlighted existing safe and effective treatment technologies.

Research efforts will persist at institutions such as New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, focusing on solutions for treating produced water. Concurrently, the Water Quality Control Commission is working on finalizing regulations for water reuse that will inform statewide application of these advancements.

The updated HB 137 also broadens eligibility criteria for brackish water supplies under the Strategic Water Supply program while ensuring protections for both resources and rights holders.

For further information about the Strategic Water Supply’s objectives, a new video has been released today.