Water Problems Lingering in City

By THE NEW MEXICAN, PHOTO BY LUIS SNCHEZ SATURNO

Residents left waiting as crews cope with backlog of cases originating from recent cold spell

Water: City asks residents for patience

To flush the toilet at her home on Camino Don Miguel on Monday, Raquel Nunez had to carry buckets of water from her neighbor’s house.

Her water meter was frozen, which blocked water from flowing into the pipes at her east-side home for most of the day.

“Today was going to be my laundry day and now that is on hold,” Nunez said. “I realize that it’s a holiday and they have a lot of calls, but it would be nice if they could give me some kind of time estimate or some hope that I will have water again.”

Water-service problems, which began during last week’s cold snap, linger in the city, even though the weather has warmed up. City crews continue to cope with a backlog of calls blamed on frigid temperatures and aged pipes.

The New Mexican received several calls Monday from residents who said they still don’t have water because of frozen meters. Nunez called city dispatchers at about

7:15 a.m. Monday. By 4:30 p.m., she still did not have water, she said.

City spokeswoman Laura Banish said all the problems with water mains had been fixed by Monday, except a short line on Old Santa Fe Trail that broke Monday morning. Crews repaired that line, but found another leak after they turned it on and were still working on it Monday evening. Banish said that line did not provide service to many customers.

Many water meters are on the north-facing sides of houses, away from sunlight, which meant they weren’t thawing even though air temperatures were warmer Monday, Banish said.

The city water division has a staff of 24, and most of its employees have been working 10-hour shifts for several days in a row, Banish said.

On Sunday, crews responded to problems at about 150 houses and on Monday were expected to respond to 300 homes.

This summer, the city water division upgraded meters so they can be read remotely, but Banish said crews don’t believe the new apparatuses attached to the meters were causing the problem.

“I know it’s a huge inconvenience,” she said, “but people are just going to have to be patient while we try to catch up.”

People add to the problem by calling the city’s customer service trouble line multiple times about the same problem, Banish said.

The city can work on issues with the meter and the lines leading to the meter. But if there is a problem between the meter and the house, she said, the property owner must fix it.

To report water problems in the city call 955-4333.

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