Portales votes to stay with Ute water project

Portales City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to stay with the Ute Water Pipeline Project despite an attempt by Logan attorney Warren Frost to dissuade City Council members from doing so.

Frost was given 10 minutes to give a presentation to the Council on why the pipeline project should be immediately halted.

Frost went over his 10 minutes despite Mayor Mike Miller telling him repeatedly he had exceeded his allotted time.

Frost said “new information” had been discovered about the pipeline that “raises concerns.”

“All planning was based on Ute lake water could use conventional processing. It was discovered water quality has deteriorated,” Frost said.

Frost alleged in his presentation the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority doesn’t have the funding for additional processing costs.

Frost went on to allege higher costs for water for Portales and Clovis with the pipeline.

“Portales water will go up 80%. Clovis will go up 400%. Clovis water is now $1.17 per 1,000 gallons. Pipeline water will cost $4.78 per 1,000 gallons,” Frost said.

Before Frost spoke, during the open comments part of the session, Clovis Mayor Mike Morris spoke to the Council.

Morris is chairman of the Board of the ENMWUA.

Morris acknowledged the presentation from Frost, representing Quay County, was on the agenda.

“The time for being polite is over. Quay County would deprive us of water for a few more feet of recreational water,” Morris said.

Morris pointed out Quay County has “unsuccessfully opposed this project for a long time.”

ENMWUA Executive Director Orlando Ortega said the Ute lake water was not untreatable.

“We could treat the water conventionally, but it will taste different and will leave mineral deposits,” Ortega said.

Ortega said the minerals in the lake at Logan are not a unique problem.

He talked of similar concerns with Amarillo’s Lake Meredith and Lubbock’s Lake Alan Henry.

The Quay County Commission last month wrote a letter to Morris urging the water authority cease construction on the nearly 100-mile pipeline that would provide water for much of the state’s east side. Quay officials are concerned recreational activities at the lake at Logan could be compromised if the pipeline is built.

A memo from Jacobs Engineering of Albuquerque to the water authority stated the quality of the water in Ute lake had “significantly deteriorated” in recent years and that conventional water treatment would be insufficient.

The memo from Jacobs showed the lake water’s total dissolved solids rate increased by 44% from 2005 to 2022.

Quay officials allege the Ute Pipeline would need a water treatment plant that would cost between $400 million and $600 million — money the authority doesn’t have.

Morris has said the treatment plant is still being designed and engineers don’t have an exact cost. But he acknowledged costs will be in the “hundreds of millions” of dollars, well above the $277 million originally expected.

The Ute Pipeline project is being funded by federal, state and local entities and most of that $1 billion has already been secured, with the exception of funds needed for the treatment plant. Morris and other representatives of member entities have said they’re confident all of the funds needed will be in place before the pipeline is complete about 2031.

In other Portales City Council business:

n Council okayed Portales Police Chief Christopher Williams communicating with the New Mexico Department of Transportation for authorization to put city speed enforcement devices on state highways in the city limits.

Once Williams gets the state authorization he will return to the Council and it will decide which streets will get the devices.

n City Manager Chris Moyer was given authorization to put together a task force to work on solutions to poor conditions at the Portales Cemetery.

n City transit driver Amana Hill was honored for her five years of service to the city.