Las Vegas officials make headway on fixing water system, reaching water demand
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been nearly two weeks since the City of Las Vegas was hit with a devasting flash flood. The flooding led to closed streets, property damage, and water restrictions. However, city officials said they’ve made progress in returning the water system to what it was before the flood.
“It was kind of scary when it first happened,” said Ayla Apodaca, a resident of Las Vegas, New Mexico. “But we’re getting through it.”
Apodaca was one of the hundreds of residents getting bottled water Sunday afternoon from one of the water distribution sites that started two weeks ago. When the sites first opened, thousands of residents lined up to get their share. That number has since dropped into the hundreds as demand decreases.
“We increased the number of cases that we were giving to the community,” said City of Las Vegas Mayor David Romero. “When we first started, we were at two cases. Now, we’re anywhere between five to ten depending on what the residents wanted.”
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Thousands of Las Vegas residents, over the last couple of weeks, were relying on the sites.
“It’s been awesome,” explained Apodaca. “Our whole community has come together. It shows that we can fall back and come back as one. It’s been really nice.”
“I think it’s great that people are coming to help,” added Jacelyn Morgan, another Las Vegas resident.
City officials said they have made headway in returning the water system back to normal. Mayor Romero said they have a pre-treatment system almost up and running, which would help clean out what debris is left in the Bradner Dam. It would make it operational once again.
“We’ve had discussion with those folks up there, and they’re doing the best that they can to get that as fast as they can for us,” said Mayor David Romero .
Officials stated they are waiting for PNM to power the new pre-treatment system and connect it to the current water system. Mayor David Romero hopes to have the water system back to normal within the next week and a half.
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“We’re not out of the woods, but we do have a sigh of relief,” Mayor David Romero said.
Additionally, a company based out of Louisana was contracted to carry water to the city. The group, known as Macro Companies, Inc., has hauled 2.2 million gallons to the community, the city said in a release on July 7.
As of Sunday evening, city officials are still urging residents to continue conserving water.
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