Water

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”  Benjamin Franklin

Safe and accessible water is crucial for New Mexicans. With 87% of the state’s public water supply coming from groundwater, we must ensure that residents have access to safe drinking water.

Having experienced the hardship of my own well running dry, I empathize with our water scarcity issues in the East Mountains.

When a developer proposed a massive development on an 8,000-acre ranch, the residents of East Mountains stood united, defending their rights to domestic wells and protecting the groundwater that sustains their homes. I collaborated with a local non-profit agency to support the halt of excessive housing expansion to safeguard our precious water.

Water is a vital resource in every part of the country, but its value is magnified in New Mexico’s arid climate. Every drop of water saved or conserved contributes to our community’s well-being and sustainability.

Not only do we have water contamination and scarcity issues nationwide, but in New Mexico, some of our drinking water systems are losing 40-70% of treated drinking water due to aging infrastructure, including underground distribution pipes.

Furthermore, the water infrastructure is not environmentally or structurally sound, and the system also leaves Americans at risk of attack by foreign adversaries.

I was recently featured in a NEWSMAX article titled “Warfare Is Changing, It’s Threatening Our Water Supplies.” The article addresses the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent warning that our water systems nationwide are vulnerable to cyberattacks after finding that 70% of systems were not adequately protected.

It is imperative that our government prioritizes sustainable, long-lasting, modern infrastructure. We must ensure the protection of Americans’ water from both domestic and foreign threats.