City adopts irrigation plan

The Tucumcari City Commission has approved a $5.6 million project to divert treated wastewater from the city’s sewage treatment plant to irrigate nearby property.

The city adopted this project on April 30 as a way to comply with federal and state “zero discharge” environmental regulations that prohibit dumping the water into a nearby pond.

The project includes an option to purchase more than 300 acres of farmland next to the treatment plant from Jack Smith, and installing water lines and a sprinkler system for irrigation, according to Vicki Strand, director of the city’s community development department.

Funding for the project will consist of a $1.4 million grant from the Rural Utilities Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program and about $4.3 million in loans to the city that will be paid back over 40 years at a rate of $13,000 per year, according to documents the city provided..

The plan with the commission’s approval must now be approved in turn by the New Mexico Environmental Department and the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund of the New Mexico Finance Authority, city manager Mark Martinez said.

That process could take a few months, he said.

The commission on Monday also conducted a final conference with its auditor in executive session to discuss results of its 2017 audit. The audit conference is usually one of the final steps before the audit becomes public.