Regional Resiliency

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is partnering with state agencies, local governments, utilities, and technical assistance providers across the state to provide resources and expertise in supporting sustainable water and wastewater utility operations and to ensure New Mexicans have access to safe and reliable water. For more information about the program, go to the Water System Regionalization Assistance Program Fact Sheet.

Regionalization is the process of combining components of smaller, individual systems into a larger regional system.

The goal of regionalization is to improve the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of water services by strengthening a system’s long-term resiliency.

By sharing resources, infrastructure, and expertise, regionalized systems can provide better water quality, reduce costs, and ensure compliance with regulations.

Regionalization helps communities address challenges like aging infrastructure and limited funding while maintaining safe and affordable water for residents.

Regionalization is one of several critical tools that water systems can apply to help address long-term, intractable problems that impede their ability to deliver safe drinking water – a fundamental and essential public health and human need.

For more information about regional resiliency, go to the Regional Resiliency Flyer and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water System Restructuring Assessment Rule.

In New Mexico, more than two-thirds of community water systems – public water systems serving the same population year-round –serve 500 people or fewer. In the state and across the country, these very small water systems face significant challenges in maintaining the technical, managerial, and financial capacity necessary to provide safe and sustainable drinking water to their customers. Some of these challenges include:

• Complying with increasingly complex regulatory requirements.

• Managing threats to water supply and infrastructure from climate change and new and emerging contaminants.

• Maintaining sufficient revenue base and obtaining external funding when needed.

• Conducting long-term planning.

• Hiring and retaining qualified staff.