Until recently, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority provided its customers with water from our aquifer, ground water pumped from wells. We learned in the 1990s that our aquifer was much smaller than we had believed, and that we were depleting it much faster than Mother Nature could replenish it. In order to protect the aquifer, we embarked on the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project, which captures and cleans water from the Rio Grande and pumps it to homes in the Albuquerque area.  

In order to protect our precious New Mexico water resources we all need to join in the effort to save water, indoors and outdoors. The Water Authority, which must reduce per-capita water consumption under state requirements for the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project, has set a usage goal of 150 gallons per person per day by 2014. The goal for 2009 is 159 gallons per person.

More Information about Water Conservation

EPA High School Environment Center 

EPA pages for students, Grades 9-1 2 

USGS links to informative sites 

AquaVenturer Time Machine, an interactive tour of sewage history 

How to conserve water in your Home 

Conservation tips on one page 

Albuquerque aquifer information

Science Fair Ideas to Help Us Learn More about Water

- Science Fair Ideas