Meth contamination under investigation at hotel

PORTALES — Water service to Portales' Super 8 hotel has been shut off while officials investigate concerns of methamphetamine contamination.

Portales City Manager Sarah Austin said Friday night officials have determined there has been no contamination to the city's water supply. "This situation has been contained to just the Super 8 ... The city water is not affected," she said.

Police in a news release issued Saturday said they were first contacted on Thursday after a crystal-like substance was found in a sink at the hotel. That substance was field tested and provided a presumptive positive indication for methamphetamine, the release stated.

A hotel guest later reported being struck in the eye by a similar substance that came out of a hotel faucet.

Police were contacted again on Friday after more of the substance was found “in multiple other locations within the building,” including inside an ice machine, the release stated.

“The location being within the ice machine led to concerns about the substance being within the building's water system,” police said.

Officials said they're not concerned about contamination in the city water supply, at least in part, because the hotel is “equipped with a device intended to prevent water back flow into the City's water system and the water was turned off to the building for further precautions and safety measures,” police stated in the release.

The Saturday news release stated additional testing was done with a handheld narcotics analyzer. “The results of the device provided an inconclusive result on the substance,” the release stated.

Portales City Manager Sarah Austin said samples have been sent to a lab for additional testing.

Police have not responded to questions about how much of the substance has been found. District Attorney Andrea Reeb said Saturday no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

A hotel spokeswoman said the facility is closed but declined to release any additional information.

"We did have the hotel next door tested and they don't have ... problems," Austin said on Friday night. "At this time there is no need we see (for city water users) to be worried."

Austin said Super 8 officials directed guests to nearby hotels. She said Super 8 was at capacity with about 44 rooms booked.

Eastern New Mexico University is hosting its annual College Daze Rodeo this weekend, resulting in hundreds of out-of-town visitors.