CRRUA receives five discolored water calls in August, passes another arsenic test

Following two months of quiet, the embattled water utility that oversees areas of southern Dona Ana County received five calls about discolored water in August.

The Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, or CRRUA, released its voluntary monthly discolored water report on Thursday.

CRRUA is responsible for servicing areas of Santa Teresa and Sunland Park, New Mexico.

According to the utility, during August, five customers called its hotline to report discolored water.

This comes after two months of no reports or calls from the community.

The utility said that discolored water can be caused by water line breaks, water wells returning to service and hydrant flushes that disturb naturally occurring sediments accumulating over time.

Meanwhile, CRRUA also said it passed its voluntary monthly arsenic tests for September.

Those tests, according to CRRUA, are verified by Eurofins Environment Testing, an independent laboratory certified by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED).

According to Eurofins' results, arsenic levels at three of CRRUA's arsenic treatment facilities (ATF) are below the federal limit.

CRRUA routinely excludes its Border Entry ATF from voluntary monthly testing due to its "continued meeting of all NMED requirements," the utility said.

CRRUA said it has now passed 14 arsenic water sample tests, going back to Jan. 24, including two NMED quarterly tests and 12 independent lab tests.