SANTA FE – New Mexico placed sixth out of the seven Colorado River Basin states for water efficiency in a new report on state water policy across the United States.
The report was released by the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a national nonprofit group that advocates for water conservation and has several members in New Mexico, including major utility companies.
The report focused on laws regarding public and commercial water usage, which makes up about 10% of usage in New Mexico. It does not make recommendations on agricultural usage, which makes up over three quarters of water use in the state, according to the State Engineer’s Office.
Alliance for Water Efficiency President and CEO Ron Burke advocates for laws that promote more efficient home plumbing fixtures, including toilets, which make up about a quarter of indoor water usage.
“It’s low-hanging fruit,” Burke said. “The reality is a pretty significant percentage of the plumbing products being sold already go beyond the federal standards, so the retailers are used to it.”
He said 15 states have already passed legislation to require high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, including Colorado, Texas and California.
“Our second big recommendation was for the state to adopt policies that ensure local water utilities are looking for water loss and then fixing the leaks that they find,” Burke said.
He said it’s common for pipes that deliver water from treatment plants to have leaks, which can lead to significant loss of already treated water.
Burke also advocated for New Mexico to allocate more money to programs that promote water efficiency.
During the ongoing 60-day legislative session, Rep. Kristina Ortez, D-Taos, is sponsoring a bill, House Bill 185, that would update efficiency standards for water usage as well as electricity and gas.
New Mexico ranked 24th nationally in the report. Of the Colorado River Basin states, California came in first while Wyoming ranked last.
