Las Cruces Utilities set to begin construction on septic replacement project

Ground water contamination can last for years and can be expensive to clean up. City officials in Las Cruces say they are trying to prevent a problem before it starts.

ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom attended a septic replacement ground breaking ceremony today on Tuesday where the city of Las Cruces has made the elimination of septic systems a priority, to prevent groundwater contamination.

This is the first of three projects set to begin this year, the. The cost of the projects is more than 2$2 million, dollars, and construction will begin at the Lantana subdivision.

Carl Clark, the Las Cruces regulatory and technical administrator, says sewer connections aren’t the only upgrade on the way.”

“Once we get them off of the septic tanks, we handle all of the waste so, we no longer have those issues with ground water contamination,”. Clark said.

He tells ABC-7 it will take about two weeks to complete installation of a new sewer main. Completion of the project is scheduled for August 2015.