Santa Fe County will participate in a public meeting organized by the Tesuque Valley Community Association (TVCA) on Thursday, March 5, at 5:30 p.m. The event will take place at Tesuque Elementary School and aims to inform residents about how the Aamodt Settlement Agreement affects water wells in the Nambé-Pojoaque-Tesuque Basin.
Officials from the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and Santa Fe County will be present to answer questions and provide information. Attendees can expect handouts, takeaway materials, and forms related to well elections for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System.
“This meeting is a valuable opportunity for Pojoaque Valley residents to hear directly from the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and Santa Fe County officials about how the Aamodt Settlement affects their wells and what options they will have to connect to the system once it becomes available,” said Santa Fe County Project Manager Scott Kaseman.
The Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System is currently in its first phase of construction. It is designed to supply safe drinking water to both Pueblo and non-Pueblo customers included in the Aamodt Settlement Agreement along NM-502, NM-503, Highway 285 from Pojoaque to Tesuque, and Bishop’s Lodge Road. The Bureau of Reclamation leads this project, handling design, construction, and budget responsibilities.
Connecting properties to this new system offers residents reliable access to treated drinking water sourced from the Rio Grande. The planned infrastructure includes over 150 miles of waterlines that will distribute water from a treatment facility to storage tanks and homes.
Santa Fe County has committed up to $10,000 per eligible household for connection costs if residents opt in before Phase 3 begins. This phase is still being designed; final decisions on waterline routes depend on landowner participation.
The upcoming meeting seeks to clarify these processes for local property owners and guide them through necessary steps regarding settlement-party status and reporting deadlines with state authorities.
Santa Fe County encourages community engagement through public meetings like this one as part of its focus on transparent governance and resource stewardship. More information about county operations—including its policy-making Board of Commissioners and administrative services—can be found on its official website. The county provides essential services across incorporated municipalities, pueblos, unincorporated areas, and supports sectors such as public safety, health, human services, public works, and community development throughout the region.
