NEW MEXICO: PUEBLO OF POJOAQUE Grant Funds Help to Develop Source Water Protection Infrastructure Background Location: The Pueblo of Pojoaque is located 12 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was issued as a grant in 1864. The pueblo has 338 tribal members, encompasses over 13,500 acres and has 2500 residents. Water Supply: The Pueblo of Pojoaque is totally dependent on ground water. The Tribal Works Department maintains eight wells and four storage tanks that have a combined capacity of 470,000 gallons. Source Water Assessment: In July 2001, the Tribal Works Department (TWO), Environment Department, University of New Mexico's Environmental Finance Center and the EPA Region 6 Tribal Source Water Assessment Team completed a source water assessment for the two public water supply systems owned by the pueblo. Both the South Pueblo community water supply system and the North Pueblo community water supply system were determined to have a medium susceptibility to contamination. Priority Contamination Threats The major threat to the pueblo's drinking water supply is from single family septic systems and transportation corridors that are within the source water protection areas. Abandoned water supply wells and underground storage tanks were also identified as potential threats to water quality. Local Team and Developing the Protection Plan The Pueblo of Pojoaque developed and implemented an EPA approved Wellhead Protection (WHP) program in 1994. The TWO is the lead tribal agency responsible for implementing the WHP program and works closely with the Environment Department and area stakeholders on source water protection. Priority Contamination Threats The major threat to the pueblo's drinking water supply is from single family septic systems and transportation corridors that are within the source water protection areas. Abandoned water supply wells and underground storage tanks were also identified as potential threats to water quality. Management Measures The TWO, working with the tribe's environmental program used the completed source water assessments to prioritize protection activities. Using Safe Drinking Water Act Set-Aside funds provided by EPA Region 6, the tribe implemented the following measures to protect their drinking water supply: • Installed 4' X 4' concrete pads around each well head to divert runoff away from well, • Installed protective housing around South Pueblo well #7, Office of Water (4606M) 816F10025 January 2010 ------- • Installed/repaired security fencing around all public drinking water wells, and • Installed plastic lining and gravel overlays to control rodents around well structures. Contingency Planning The EPA is responsible for working with the tribes to ensure that drinking water supplies are restored in the event of a disruption of service. The Region 6 Tribal Drinking Water program will provide technical assistance and funding to ensure an uninterrupted drinking water supply for tribes that need assistance. Measuring Program Effectiveness EPA Region 6 Tribal Drinking Water program works with the New Mexico Rural Water Association to ensure that tribes maintain a viable Source Water Protection program. The NMRWA Tribal Source Water Protection program Circuit Rider visits with the tribes to provide assistance and training on Source Water Protection and then reports implementation progress to EPA. For further information, contact: Alyn Martinez Director, Tribal Works Department (505) 455-3383 alynmartinez(S)hotmail.com Office of Water (4606M) 816F10025 January 2010 ------- |