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| Congress approves splash of cash for Carnuel and Moriarty water projects |
November 14, 2001 |
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| Washington, DC - An agreement reached last week between House and Senate negotiators on an $85.43 billion spending bill holds nuggets of cash for New Mexico projects high on Congresswoman Heather Wilson’s list of priorities, including a national cemetery in central New Mexico and critical water projects in Carnuel and Moriarty. The legislation has cleared the House and the Senate and is on it’s way to President Bush for signature. Wilson priorities included in the committee-approved VA-HUD spending bill were:
$100,000 for construction of a community water system in Carnuel, New Mexico
“The East Mountain area has quickly grown as people seek the solace of living away from a metropolitan area like Albuquerque,” said Yolanda Garcia, President of the Carnuel Mutual Domestic Water and Wastewater Consumers Association. “Ironically, because of this growth, we’ve now come face to face with a desperate need for a water system that can provide safe and affordable water to the 300 families living in Carnuel. Congresswoman Wilson understands this critical need, and we’re very grateful for her leadership.”
This water system would include a community well, a 50,000-gallon storage tank, 3000 lineal feet of 4 inch transmission line, and 2000 feet of distribution water line. The system would be phased in to serve up to approximately 300 homes. The Community of Carnuel would work with the New Mexico Finance Authority as well as the New Mexico Rural Water Association to develop the corporation for maintaining the system. The community is in desperate need of a water system because of the increasing amount of septic tanks and private wells in the area, leading to an increase in nitrate contamination in many wells.
$200,000 for wastewater system infrastructure improvements in Moriarty
“Our wastewater infrastructure was designed and built in the early 1960s,” says Moriarty Mayor Adan Encinias. “We`ve definitely outgrown our system. There is an immediate need to rehabilitate the system for efficiency and capacity to help us continue commercial and industrial development. Congresswoman Wilson reached out to us, listened, and delivered when we asked for help. We`re hopeful that by leveraging this seed money, our system improvements will be realized and commercial and industrial development maximized.”
This project addresses the improvement needs of a 40-year-old system, and expansion of services across I-40 for commercial and industrial development. The current wastewater system was designed and built in 1963. This design collected all the wastewater in one central lifting station and then forced it to the wastewater facility. Though effective for many years, the continued growth rate within the City has forced the City to come up with an alternative to this central collecting system.
The alternative proposal would install two new lift stations, redesign and rehabilitate one lift station, add one mile of sewer line, separate all wastewater into two separate pumping systems by isolating the southern part of the City, and adding two pumps and modifying the lifting station at the wastewater facility for backup support to the existing screw pumps.
$125,000 for a National Cemetery in central New Mexico
Wilson also secured $125,000 to begin planning a National Cemetery in central New Mexico. The federal lawmaker introduced legislation on the 57th Anniversary of D-day this year (June 6, 2001) that directs the Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs to begin the lengthy project of establishing a national cemetery in the Albuquerque area. Last year Wilson won approval of a measure that required the VA to begin an official study of the need for a 3rd veteran’s cemetery in the state.
She also requested funding to support that effort in the FY02 fiscal year, worked closely with her colleagues and with House leadership to curry support, and met with VA Secretary Anthony Principi to underscore her adamant support of a new national cemetery in the Albuquerque area. Wilson actively identified this project in Capitol Hill circles as one of her top priorities. This funding announced today is the culmination of Wilson’s efforts. |
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