Bottled water starts to add up for NM

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The State of New Mexico spent tens of thousands of dollars last year buying bottled water for employees, according to a review of state spending by News 13.

In a recent study, a Massachusetts advocacy group, Corporate Accountability International, called that practice the "poster child for conspicuous consumption" and urged the state to drop the taxpayer-funded expense in favor of tap water.

The state has agreements with four New Mexico companies to buy bottled water, with each 5-gallon bottles selling for $3. Based on those numbers, New Mexico state employees went through 39,000 bottles in fiscal year 2009. According to Corporate Accountability International, that translates into $78,000 for fiscal year 2009. However, News 13 analyzed the numbers and found out the state's final tab for bottled water was actually more like $117,000.

The biggest bottled water bill came from the New Mexico Department of Transportation, which spent more than $30,000 for the employee perk in fiscal year 2009. The state Human Services Department came in second with a $22,000 water bill for more than 20 offices statewide.

Spokespeople for the two departments initially defended the practice in recent interviews.

"We had to weigh what that was going to do for morale," said Betina Gonzales McCracken, human services spokeswoman. "Especially during these times where you're looking at pay cuts, at furloughs, at more additional dollars going to retirement funds."

Transportation spokesman Mark Slimp said workers in his department are often out in the field and far from water sources.

"If you're on a crew of 10 or 20 people, and you're literally out in the middle of nowhere with no access to water, we believe that it's real important to take care of employees so that they stay hydrated," Slimp said.

For transportation field workers based in Tijeras, bottled water is a necessity.

"The water up here is just really undrinkable," said field supervisor Todd Dunlap."I refuse to have any of my employees drink (the) water that comes out of our well."

However, faced with an estimated $200 million budget deficit next fiscal year, it appears the practice of furnishing bottled water to state employees may, at least partially, be coming to an end.

The Human Services Department recently announced that bottled water will only be provided to offices with undrinkable tap water.

"We want to make sure that the offices that are getting them are the offices that really need them," McCracken said.

The transportation department might cut back, too.

"The secretary has asked everybody from the upper level management down to mid-level managers and supervisors to look for opportunities not to use bottled water anymore," Slimp said.

Further proof of the practice ending comes from one of the companies approved to do business with the state, Water Boyz in Santa Fe, where officials said state spending has fallen more than 20 percent from the 2009 to 2010 budget years.

As part of its study, Corporate Accountability International urged Gov. Bill Richardson to issue an executive order to stop state spending on bottled water. The governor's office said Richardson does not believe a complete ban on bottled water spending is practical.