By Grace Espinosa, Civil Engineering Major, Mentor Amos Arber.
New Mexico is a desert, and for a considerable period, the Albuquerque and Bernalillo
communities relied on ground water. When over relying on the San Juan-Chama, Rio
Grande and the aquifer, future unsustainability during drought is almost guaranteed.
Knowing this, the Water utility authority made a 100- year long sustainability plan called
the 2120 project. This project focuses on Surface water management, Aquifer storage
and recovery, conservation initiatives, and groundwater production strategies, so
Albuquerque/Bernalillo is more prepared for the future. Though this plan so far has been
successful, many don’t know about the 2120 project, and there is potential for the next
generation not to know how to contribute. It is just as important to teach the community
and the next generation how to help throughout their day-to-day lives to ultimately
reduce water usage to 110 gallons per capita per day by 2037. By spreading
information about the active steps being taken to conserve ground and surface water by
the water utility authority as well as how community members can prevent water waste,
the community is setting aside a more secure water supply for their future.