New Mexico Environment Department expected to release report on CRRUA mishap next week

SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Residents of Santa Teresa and Sunland Park may be close to finding out what exactly led up to a mishap that caused high amounts of sulfuric acid to pour into their drinking water supplies last month.

The New Mexico Environment Department says their Drinking Water Bureau has been investigating the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, or CRRUA, since December's treatment plant malfunction.

The mishap, which CRRUA says was caused by a pump failure, left thousands of residents without usable drinking water for days after it was contaminated.

Matthew Maez, the communications director for the New Mexico Environment Department, says the findings of the report are "expected" to be released as soon as the end of next week.

ABC-7 asked Maez what kind of consequences CRRUA could be facing if violations are found in the report.

“Utilities that are not in compliance could be subject to a notice of violations, or administrative compliance orders, depending on the nature of the violations," said Maez.

The department also says the investigation was met with "unusual" circumstances.

“This was the first time in recent memory that a water system overfed chemicals like this, and because of the number of impacted customers," said the Drinking Water Bureau in a statement to ABC-7.

The news of this report’s upcoming release comes just weeks after CRRUA’s executive director, Brent Westmoreland, retired.

John Crosby was named interim director by the CRRUA board last week after hiring Las Cruces-based firm Robert Garza & Associates to help find a permanent replacement for Westmoreland.