NEW MEXICO
616 systems serving 1,657,756 people		  
 
 
  This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in New Mexico, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the New Mexico Environment Department. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.

 
Chemicals
Water Utilities
Population Served
Detected Chemicals
96
616
1,633,045
Exceed health guidelines*
46
547
1,613,642
Exceed Legal Limits*
24
118
433,287
Unregulated chemicals detected
24
218
1,187,481
* Water utilities are noted as exceeding the legal limit if any test is above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Most MCLs are based on annual averages so exceeding the MCL for one test does not necessarily indicate that the system is out of compliance.

 
 
 
  46 Contaminants Exceeding Health Based Limits

Contaminants detected in New Mexico drinking water above health guidelines, according to an Environmental Working Group analysis of data obtained from state water authorities.

Contaminant
Population
Number of Systems
At Any Level Above Health Limits At Any Level Above Health Limits
Bromoform 1,456,003 1,456,003 297 297
Dibromochloromethane 1,417,178 1,387,408 294 260
Bromodichloromethane 1,272,640 1,272,640 230 230
Total haloacetic acids (HAAs) 1,284,495 1,243,482 269 237
Combined Uranium (mg/L) 1,200,918 1,200,918 236 236
Dichloroacetic acid 1,005,055 1,005,055 139 139
Arsenic (total) 977,554 977,554 144 144
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 1,485,475 970,417 334 148
Combined Radium (-226 & -228) 776,018 776,018 242 242
Radium-228 744,369 744,369 209 209

 
 
 
  Sources of New Mexico Drinking Water Contaminants

The contaminants identified in New Mexico drinking water come from a wide variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, water treatment plants, and polluted storm runoff from urban areas.

96 Total Contaminants Detected (2004 - 2008)
21 Agricultural Pollutants
(pesticides, fertilizer, factory farms)

Arsenic (total), Cyanide, Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Picloram, Dinoseb, Aldicarb sulfoxide, Butachlor, 2,4-D, Bromomethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Chlordane, o-Dichlorobenzene, p-Dichlorobenzene, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Ethylbenzene, Perchlorate
29 Sprawl and Urban Pollutants
(road runoff, lawn pesticides, human waste)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Tetrachloroethylene, MTBE, Nitrite, Xylenes (total), Cadmium (total), Antimony (total), Mercury (total inorganic), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Cyanide, o-Xylene, Foaming agents (surfactants), Benzene, Acetone, p-Dichlorobenzene, Methyl ethyl ketone, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di-n-butylphthalate, 2,4-D, Naphthalene, m-Xylene, Chlordane, Benzo[a]pyrene, n-Propylbenzene, Bromobenzene
70 Industrial Pollutants

Aluminum, Arsenic (total), Chlorite, Barium (total), Cadmium (total), Chromium (total), Cyanide, Lead (total), Manganese, Mercury (total inorganic), Nitrate & nitrite, Nitrate, Nitrite, Selenium (total), Antimony (total), Beryllium (total), Thallium (total), Asbestos, Di(2-Ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Chloromethane, Acetone, Methyl ethyl ketone, Naphthalene, MTBE, Tetrahydrofuran, Di-n-butylphthalate, Pentachlorophenol, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Dibromomethane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, n-Butylbenzene, 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Foaming agents (surfactants), Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Xylenes (total), Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), p-Dichlorobenzene, Vinyl chloride, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-Dichloropropane, Trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene, Monochlorobenzene (Chlorobenzene), Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Bromobenzene, Isopropylbenzene, m-Xylene, Styrene, o-Xylene, n-Propylbenzene, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Uranium-238, Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Radium-226, Radium-228, Alpha particle activity, Perchlorate, Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)
22 Water Treatment and Distribution Byproducts
(pipes and fixtures, treatment chemicals and byproducts)

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Total haloacetic acids (HAAs), Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromoform, Dibromoacetic acid, Monochloroacetic acid, Bromochloroacetic acid, Monobromoacetic acid, Chlorite, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Cadmium (total), Chloromethane, Bromate, Vinyl chloride, Asbestos, Dibromomethane, Bromochloromethane, Benzo[a]pyrene
23 Naturally Occurring
(naturally present but increased for lands denuded by sprawl, agriculture, or industrial development)

Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate & nitrite, Barium (total), Lead (total), Arsenic (total), Manganese, Radium-228, Radium-226, Alpha particle activity, Alpha particle activity (excl radon and uranium), Combined Radium (-226 & -228), Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L), Chromium (total), Combined Uranium (mg/L), Aluminum, Selenium (total), Nitrite, Radon, Mercury (total inorganic), Chloromethane, Cyanide, Uranium-238
25 Unregulated Contaminants
EPA has not established a maximum legal limit in tapwater for these contaminants

Lead (total), Aldicarb sulfoxide, Butachlor, Chloromethane, Bromomethane, Acetone, Methyl ethyl ketone, Naphthalene, MTBE, Tetrahydrofuran, Di-n-butylphthalate, Dibromomethane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene, n-Butylbenzene, 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene, Bromochloromethane, Bromochloroacetic acid, Bromobenzene, Isopropylbenzene, n-Propylbenzene, Radon, Perchlorate, Uranium-234 (pCi/L), Uranium-238 (pCi/L)
 
 
 
  Testing Summary for New Mexico

The federal government has set standards for some of the pollutants found in tap water supplies.

Contaminants reported as tested by water suppliers in New Mexico 225
  Contaminants tested due to federal law: 96
  Contaminants tested in addition to those required by federal law: 129
 
 
 
  Violation Summary for New Mexico

Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes the following violations of federal standards in New Mexico since 2004.

Violation Type Number of Violations
Failure to monitor regularly 993
Failure to report information to the public or state agency in the Consumer Confidence Report 430
Monitoring and Reporting Disinfection Byproduct Rule 396
Maximum contaminant level, Monthly (Coliform bacteria) 358
Over maximum contaminant level, Average 339
Failure to monitor, Routine Major (Coliform bacteria) 316
Public Notification Violation for National Primary Drinking Water Regulations 156
Failure to monitor, Routine Minor (Coliform bacteria) 124
Failure to monitor, Repeat Major (Coliform bacteria) 94
Inadequate reporting of information to the public 90
Follow-up and Routine Tap Sampling 83
Treatment Technique (Surface Water Treatment Rule) 66
Over maximum contaminant level, Single Sample 46
Maximum contaminant level, Acute (Coliform bacteria) 40
Failure to notify state agency 28
Failure to notify public of violation 28
Initial Tap Sampling for Lead and Copper 24
Failure to monitor or report, Routine/Repeat (Indicators of microbial or virus contamination) 22
Excess Turbidity at 0.3 NTU 21
Failure to monitor, Repeat Minor (Coliform bacteria) 10
Operations Report 10
Improper Treatment Techniques 9
Record Keeping Violation 9
Excess Turbidity at 1 NTU 7
Failure to Filter (Surface Water Treatment Rule) 6
Treatment Technique No Certif. Operator 4
Filter Turbidity Reporting 3
Other Non-National Primary Drinking Water Regulations Potential Health Risks 1
Sanitary Survey (Coliform bacteria) 1
Non-Acute maximum residual disinfectant level 1
Public Education 1
Initial Water Quality Parameter Monitoring and Reporting 1
Failure to monitor: Check/Repeat/Confirmation sampling 1



Sources : EWG (Environmental Working Group)