BMDWCA NEW WELL – 2009

By Ron Stafford, Board member

March 28, 2009

In late December 2007 we were notified that the Brazos Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association (BMDWCA) had received a grant for $160,000 to drill a new well in the Upper Brazos area. We had previously applied for the grant through Senator Domenici’s office with support from the New Mexico Rural Water Association. The management of the grant is administered through the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The grant provides funding for selection of a suitable drill site, NEPA activities, specification writing, and selection of a drilling contractor, drilling and casing the well. The grant funding for these activities is a true grant and does not require repayment. We will, however, be required to pay for well hookup which will include a NM State water user permit, pump and piping installation and hook up to our water system.

In early 2008 we met with Environmental Engineers associated with BIO-WEST, Inc. from Logan, Utah and a Senior Hydrogeologist associated with Daniel B. Stephens and Associates from Albuquerque, N.M. to review the potential well sites for a new well. They concluded that property owned by BMDWCA where Well #1 exists would be the best drill site. The NM State Engineers Office issued us an Exploratory Well Permit and informed us that we would be allowed to operate the new well as a primary well and the existing well as a supplemental well. After the well is drilled and tested a water user permit will be obtained.

The specifications for the well were written by Daniel B. Stephens and Associates. These were reviewed and comments were made by the Water Board Members. They were finalized and approved by the BOR.

BIO-WEST, Inc. prepared the NEPA documentation which was an Environmental Assessment. This was sent out for public comment in several New Mexico newspapers. There were no comments, therefore, a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) was written and officials at the BOR signed this document.

In January, 2009 the BOR had a Pre-bid conference for the drilling of the BMDWCA new well. This was held at the New Mexico State Forestry office on HW 84 and SR 512. There were several potential bidders who attended the conference and toured the drill site on Spruce Lane. BOR received several proposals and have unofficially selected Hydrogeologic Services from Albuquerque. BOR is in the process of completing the final documents and finalizing the contract. We anticipate that the well will be drilled between April and June and after completion of drilling, casing and testing, the well can be activated and tied into our existing water system. The latter process should take 1-2 months and will probably allow us to be in full operation by July to August time frame.