FROM CRISIS TO CONSERVATION: Lessons Learned in Santa Fe When the Wells (Almost) Ran Dry
During the spring of 2002, Santa Fe faced a mounting crisis.
After decades of groundwater overuse and years of intense drought, the city’s water supply was dwindling, and fast. As officials rushed to enact restrictions on water use, residents bickered about whether or not to follow them, pointing fingers at golf courses and neighbors with thirsty lawns. Times were tense, and no one knew when – or if – summer storms would roll in to wash away their fears.
“I remember at that time my mom was showering standing in buckets so she could keep her garden alive,” said Jesse Roach, a Santa Fe native who today serves as the director of the city’s publicly owned water utility.
But in the two decades since that crisis – and likely, in part, because of it – Santa Fe’s water reality has changed substantially. Despite the city’s 25 percent population growth since 1995, the city has reduced total water use by 30 percent, making Santa Fe a national story of success in water conservation.
“For better or for worse, going through that period of scarcity and contention and anger – we came out the other side with a very powerful ethic of water conservation,” Roach said. “We have a population who buys it because many of them lived through that crisis.”
ACEQUIAS AND WELL FIELDS
The story of how Santa Fe arrived at that crucial moment in 2002 mirrors the story of water in many Western U.S.cities. Over the decades, as populations swelled, water use began to outstrip supply.
Since time immemorial, populations in the area have relied on the Santa Fe River. In the 1700s, acequias were built to divert water for domestic and agricultural purposes. And then in the 20th century, as the city grew, engineers dammed the river to build two reservoirs in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. For a while, water seemed plentiful.
Then came the boom years. Between 1940 and 1990, Santa Fe County’s population more than tripled, from 30,000 to nearly 100,000, and water demand increased on a “classic exponential growth curve,” Roach said.
By the time the drought hit in the early 2000s, city water lines drew from those two (fast-depleting) reservoirs and from 21 wells located in and around the city. As the drought progressed, water levels fell to frightening lows. “There was almost no water in the Santa Fe River,” Roach remembered. “The wells had been mined and overdrafted for the previous decade, and it was suddenly very difficult for the utility to keep up with demand.”
10,000 TOILETS
Something had to change, so officials set to work, enacting restrictions that limited when and how frequently residents could water their landscapes – and purchasing 10,000 low-flow toilets.
Toilets made before the 1990s often used three times more water than newer low-flow models. By retrofitting existing homes and incentivizing builders to install efficient toilets in new constructions, Santa Fe officials reduced daily use. The city now incentivizes efficiency in other appliances, too.
Then, in 2007, Santa Fe Water initiated another forward-thinking solution: a two-tiered rate structure. In other words, more water use equaled higher per-gallon rates. “Once you hit that second tier, we’re going to send a strong signal that says, ‘You’re using a lot of water, and you’re going to pay for it on your bill,’” Roach said.
SAVING FOR ‘A NOT-SO-RAINY DAY’
Today, aquifer levels have bounced back, and the city’s wells mostly serve as a savings account for “a not-so-rainy day,” Roach said. Still, there’s more to be done to prepare the city for a dry, hot future. Experts anticipate New Mexico will have about 25 percent less water in 50 years, and Roach said Santa Fe is already experiencing water shortages as a result of aridification.
Still, he remains optimistic about the future, and he’s committed to using the city’s existing water supply strategically. “Your cheapest next gallon of water is always figuring out how to better use what you already have,” he said.
One long-sought-after solution is a plan to get credit for reclaimed water. About two-thirds of the water the city diverts from the Colorado River Basin winds up back in the water treatment plant. Permitting is underway to allow the city to return this treated water back into the river in exchange for credits for more water. If enacted, this plan will stretch a substantial portion of the city’s water three times farther than before.
Roach views the project, known as the San Juan-Chama Return Flow Project, as critical to shepherding Santa Fe through the double-edge sword of climate change and prolonged drought. Environmental groups and some down-stream residents worry about reduced water flows, and the quality of the treated wastewater being returned to the Rio Grande.
IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS
In some ways, Santa Fe’s success might be hard to replicate. It’s uncommon for a city of its size to have so many water sources (Santa Fe River water, diverted Colorado River Basin water and groundwater from two well fields). Santa Fe is also unique in that it is not home to water-heavy industries like large-scale agriculture or manufacturing.
Though there are stories of success in Santa Fe, Roach reminds us that much of the city’s progress came from struggle. “Building that conservation ethic was something that occurred because we went through a really tough time,” he said. “I don’t wish that on other communities.”
Avoiding those tough times will take all of us. New Mexico’s geology is varied, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. That means individual communities will need to come together in search of tailor-made solutions that will work for them.