The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, also known as the PRC, is asking the state’s congressional delegation to support two federal programs aimed at making safe and affordable drinking water and wastewater treatment services available to more New Mexicans.
New Mexico’s three commissioners sent letters to the delegation requesting that they continue funding one program and support changes to another. Both are helping thousands of New Mexicans.
The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program provides financial assistance to households that need help paying for water or wastewater bills. It was created in 2021 and in that fiscal year it funneled a total of $9 million to more than 6,000 low-income customers in New Mexico.
The program was created to help people during the pandemic. Without congressional approval of more funding, the program will end on June 30.
PRC commissioners also want the delegation to support an expansion of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Parity Act. A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would make that program’s low-interest loans available to privately-owned treatment works. Currently, only public wastewater systems are eligible.
PRC Commissioner Pat O’Connell says that privately owned systems tend to be small communities that are disconnected from urban areas.
"One that we were just looking at a couple of weeks ago is a mobile home park outside of Belen," he said. "So we just want to make sure that all the low-income utility customers, including folks that live in trailer parks outside Belen have access to these funds."
The bill is currently in a House committee.
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