Valencia County, New Mexico: drinking water report. Valencia County sits south of Albuquerque along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, with a population…
Valencia County sits south of Albuquerque along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, with a population of about 77,000. The county's water comes primarily from groundwater wells tapping the Rio Grande alluvial aquifer, supplemented in some areas by surface diversions from the river itself. Kirtland Air Force Base in neighboring Bernalillo County and the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway maintenance yards have created contamination plumes that extend into the regional aquifer system.
The Kirtland AFB jet fuel spill, discovered in 1999, released an estimated 24 million gallons of aviation fuel into the ground, creating a contamination plume in the Albuquerque Basin aquifer that is moving southward. According to the New Mexico Environment Department's 2024 remediation status report, the plume contains ethylene dibromide (EDB) and other fuel constituents at levels above drinking water standards. While the plume has not reached Valencia County production wells as of 2024, monitoring continues.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring contaminant in Valencia County groundwater. The NMED's 2024 compliance data shows that two public water systems in the county have operated under arsenic compliance schedules, with levels between 10 and 20 ppb against the MCL of 10 ppb. The EPA's UCMR5 program detected PFAS at low levels in one county system.
Arsenic in Valencia County is not from industrial activity – it comes from the volcanic geology of the region and cannot be avoided by choosing a different well location. Treatment is the only solution for affected water sources.
Check your water for current data on your system. For arsenic, only reverse osmosis and specific adsorptive media filters are effective – standard carbon filters will not reduce arsenic. Our water filter guide identifies certified systems. Pull your detailed report for trends, and visit our New Mexico page for statewide context.