Water Authority to stop diverting drinking water from Rio Grande

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The water levels in the Rio Grande are getting so low the Water Authority will stop diverting drinking water. The agency diverts water most of the year to be filtered and turned into drinking water but they say given the poor runoff this year and the expectation that large sections of the river will run dry before fall they’ve opted to shut down the diversion that’s part of the San Juan-Chama Water project.

For now, the drinking water will come exclusively from groundwater. The Water Authority will continue to release surface water from the Abiquiu Reservoir to keep the river running as long as possible. While there are no water restrictions in place the Water Authority asks that people conserve when they can.