Polluted wastewater from treatment plant affecting communities along Santa Fe River

Baern Muenzberg, 13, and his dad, Darrin Muenzberg, watch the flow of the Santa Fe River on their property Wednesday in La Bajada. The city's wastewater treatment plant discharges treated wastewater into the Santa Fe River, and in recent months the water has exceeded state and EPA limits for E. coli.

LA BAJADA — Darrin Muenzberg opens a compuerta each week on La Bajada Community Ditch to flood his crops and pasture with water from the Santa Fe River — just as seven generations of farmers have done before him.

The heritage of his land and traditions is a blessing, he said.

The water flows onto his property and irrigates centuries-old grapevines, fruit trees, vegetables and pastures where his sheep graze. He holds the rights to 1 acre-foot of water from the river each year, and he plans to pass them on to his son, Baern.

In the wake of longtime, storied disputes between heritage farmers and a growing city, the river's flow has diminished over the years. Lately, however, it has been roaring south of Santa Fe, in part due to snowmelt from late-winter storms. The river also is receiving larger-than-usual discharges from the city's wastewater treatment plant, about 12 miles upstream, because of high levels of contaminants, such as E. coli, that have prevented the city from using the effluent as a source for irrigation for parks and golf courses.

The levels of E. coli, which the city has said is caused by a line break at the 60-year-old facility, also have exceeded federal standards for discharging the water into the river.

Muenzberg repeated a phrase that others downstream of the plant also have mentioned: "We get effluent from the affluent."

He and his neighbors wonder if the river's plentiful flows might be harmful.

Contaminated wastewater flowing in the Santa Fe River has been a persistent problem for years, Muenzberg said.

Santa Fe County officials have called for the city to accelerate its efforts to fix operations at the treatment plant, which has periodically discharged tainted effluent.

The plant, on Paseo Real in the southwestern corner of the city, holds two water discharge permits — one administered by the New Mexico Environment Department and one from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — that allow for different maximum levels of various contaminants.

Wastewater Division Director Mike Dozier pulls a water sample from the outflow stream last month during a tour of the Santa Fe wastewater treatment plant.

The discharge permit from the state, which allows the city to use effluent for irrigation, sets a daily limit of up to 126 E. coli colony-forming units, or cfu, per 100 milliliters of treated water.

The EPA grants the plant authorization to discharge into the Santa Fe River through a permit that allows for up to 410 cfu.

Both permits require lower 30-day maximum averages of E. coli — 63 cfu for the state and 126 cfu for the EPA.

The city has met the daily limits for E. coli under both permits for six days, according to the most recent readings provided by the Environment Department. The highest reading in months, however, occurred May 21, with 2,750 cfu of E. coli measured in treated water.

The city has exceeded the permit's daily limit for E. coli for 11 out of the last 30 days.

The state Environment Department directed the city more than a month ago to stop using effluent for irrigation. In a corrective action plan required by the department, wastewater officials proposed to meet the permit's limits for E. coli for 30 days before irrigating with the effluent again.

In the meantime, the properties that should receive effluent — including Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe, The Downs at Santa Fe, the Municipal Recreation Complex and the Santa Fe Country Club — are being irrigated with either raw river water or treated potable water.

Irrigating the properties requires about a million gallons of water per day, city Public Works Director Regina Wheeler told city councilors during a recent meeting.

Effluent produced at the plant is being discharged into the Santa Fe River, regardless of whether it meets EPA standards.

EPA spokeswoman Jennah Durant wrote in an email Tuesday the agency is investigating the plant's E. coli levels but has not taken any enforcement actions.

City spokeswoman Kristine Bustos-Mihelcic said the city is discharging "completely treated effluent water" into the river. "There is no raw sewage being discharged into the river," she wrote in an email Wednesday.

County Commissioner Camilla Bustamante, a La Cienega resident who grew up in the area, called the polluted discharge into the river an environmental justice issue.

"People here and our tribal neighbors have been at the brunt of a lack of concern from the city," Bustamante said. "We’re not talking about a brand-new neighborhood down here; this is an historic village."

Bustamante expressed concerns the E. coli levels could point to more contaminants in water pumped into the river. She cited E. coli outbreaks nationwide that have infected people through fruits and vegetables, saying such occurrences are a concern for anyone irrigating with the river water, including farmers who sell their produce.

Baern Muenzberg, 13, of La Bajada closes the irrigation pipe from the acequia at his home Wednesday. The city's wastewater treatment plant discharges treated wastewater into the Santa Fe River, and in recent months the water has exceeded state and EPA limits for E. coli.

"What I would expect and hope for is better attention to the downstream users," she said. "The community worries because they’re not communicated with. … This is a pretty old issue, and it has never been resolved to the satisfaction of the residents."

Jose Varela Lopez, who raises cattle on the river, said at the very least he would like to receive some sort of notification from the city whenever there are high levels of contaminants, so he can refrain from using the water.

"If there is excess of effluent flowing down the river that has not been properly treated, that affects our cattle," Varela Lopez said. "There needs to be a way for us to better understand what's happening in a timely manner so I can make sure there's no impact to my cattle."

In a June 2 letter to City Manager John Blair, Santa Fe County Manager Greg Shaffer invited city officials to speak about the plant's issues and efforts to fix them at the next County Commission meeting June 13.

Shaffer wrote the city's lack of engagement with downstream communities — which include La Cieneguilla, La Cienega, La Bajada and Cochiti Pueblo — has left river users feeling "devalued" and unsure about risks associated with the river water.

"The County would be pleased to appropriately support the City's efforts to remediate the periodically high concentrations of E. coli in the WWTP's discharge," Shaffer wrote, "as well as to engage stakeholders, especially the downstream community. For example, the County could support grant requests to repair or replace the WWTP and help to coordinate or get the word out about downstream community engagement."

The County Commission voted unanimously to draft such a letter during its most recent meeting.

Darrin Muenzberg of La Bajada, checks on the acequia on his property Wednesday. Muenzberg repeated a phrase that others downstream of the plant also have mentioned: "We get effluent from the affluent."

Bustos-Mihelcic wrote in an email the broken pipe "in this situation is unique and caused the compliance issue."

"We are going to discuss possible criteria to establish notification in these types of unique circumstances in the future," she wrote. "We are also happy to explore ways to increase public education regarding the Waste Water Treatment Plant."

Muenzberg and Varela Lopez both recall when a "phone tree" was used to alert residents of problems at the treatment plant.

"It's just about being neighborly," Muenzberg said, recalling when farmers would get a warning call from "civic-minded employees" at the plant.

Walking his property early Wednesday morning, Muenzberg said "it's a blessing and a curse" to inherit his land and traditions because it requires wise management and a commitment to one's community.

"But none of us gets out of here with more than this, right?" he said, squeezing sheep dung through his fingers.

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