Elida, Texico face loss of grant money on water projects

The towns of Elida and Texico are facing the loss of grant money, and further stalling on key projects, and town representatives are blaming what they say are unreasonable requirements from the New Mexico Environment Department.

If the towns can’t meet state requirements due to the loss of the money to finish the projects, they could be fined on top of everything else, said the engineer on both projects, Karen Perez of Construction, Engineering and Management in Las Cruces.

Elida is working to get an arsenic treatment unit, a pump station to improve service and help the arsenic treatment unit work, and a building to house them.

Texico needs improvements to its wastewater treatment facility.

Both towns have Community Development Block Grants to help pay for those projects. But that money reverts back to the state at the end of the year if they can’t spend it by then.

Both communities have been unable to agree on a sequence of improvements with the state environment department.

Numerous attempts to reach New Mexico Environment Department officials for comment weren’t successful.