Water System Report NM

Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley

EPA ID: NM3502407 ยท 11,542 people served ยท 10 ZIP codes

ZipCheckup's reading of EPA records for Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley (NM3502407): no drinking-water violations recorded since 2021. Checked against the EPA violation database, Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley returns no entries for its service territory of 11,542 people.

Data: EPA SDWIS

11,542
People Served
10
ZIP Codes Served
0
Violations (since 2021)
Groundwater
Water Source
0.001 mg/L
Most recent lead 90th percentile on record (monitoring period ending 2023-12-31)
Zone 2
County Radon Potential ยท Moderate
0
Contaminants Flagged
$155K
Median Home Value in ZIP Codes Served

Service Area Map

Coverage area for Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.

Service area boundary

Demographics of ZIP Codes Served

$50,601
Median Household Income
156,381
Population of ZIP Codes Served (Census)
66%
Disadvantaged Population
70th
Poverty Percentile
50th
Energy Burden Percentile
42%
Pre-1986 Housing

The ZIP codes associated with Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley have a median household income of $50,601 and about 156,381 residents live in those ZIP codes (Census; not the number of people this system supplies). Approximately 42% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.

Environmental Justice Note: On average, 66% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this service area are designated disadvantaged by the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST, 2022 version). Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.

๐Ÿ’ง Where Does Your Water Come From?

Groundwater

Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.

Moderate Risk
Source Contamination Risk
70th
Wastewater Discharge Proximity
60th
Superfund Site Proximity

Wastewater Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 70th percentile nationally for proximity to wastewater discharge points.

Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 60th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites. Groundwater sources near contaminated sites may face elevated risk from industrial chemicals.

Infrastructure Risk

38 yr
Estimated pipe age (modeled from housing age)
Copper
Likely pipe material (modeled)
32 yr
Est. Remaining Life
Moderate Wear
Decay Status
Installed 54% of expected lifespan used (estimate) End of life

PFAS in ZIP Codes This System Serves

PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been reported in samples from water systems associated with the ZIP codes in this system's area. These results can come from other water systems serving the same ZIP codes; check the UCMR5 section for any results reported for this system. 5 detections recorded.

Health concern: Exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with some cancers and with immune and developmental effects; effects differ by compound. Many PFAS break down very slowly in the environment.
Recommended filter: An activated carbon filter certified under NSF/ANSI 53 or a reverse osmosis system certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for the PFAS listed in its certification. Find the right filter โ†’

Comparable Water Systems

Similar-sized systems in New Mexico

Espanola Water System
12,012 people
3 violations
Socorro Water System
12,026 people
B 1 violation
Bernalillo Water System
10,948 people
C 6 violations
Belen Water System
10,830 people
C 89 violations
5 violations

Estimated Remediation Costs

Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system

PFAS Treatment Water Filtration
PFAS Treatment $313
Water Filtration $300
Total Estimated Cost $613

Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.

Cost of Inaction

Illustrative per-household cost scenario based on stated assumptions:

PFAS Exposure - Lifetime Cost $1,000

Per person (emerging research est.)

Estimated Cumulative Cost Per Household

5 years
$165
10 years
$330
20 years
$660

Compare: Estimated remediation cost is $613 (one-time) vs. $330 in estimated inaction costs over 10 years.

Individual costs vary by household size, property, and health factors. These estimates are for awareness, not financial advice.

System Overview

Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley (EPA ID: NM3502407) is a community water system in New Mexico that serves approximately 11,542 people from groundwater sources.

This system provides water to 10 ZIP codes across 7 communities.

Violation History

No accepted violation records in the 2021-2026 window - The accepted EPA ECHO 2026Q2 snapshot contains zero violation records for this system whose record year falls from 2021 through 2026, inclusive. This is not a tap-water safety guarantee.

Lead & Copper

EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:

Lead Level Exceeds Action Level Sample Date
0.001 mg/L No 2023-12-31

No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.

Radon Risk in Service Area

10 of 10 ZIP records with known zones are in EPA Radon Zone 2.

The EPA recommends testing all homes regardless of radon zone. County radon zones cannot replace an in-home radon test.

ZIP Codes Served

Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by NM or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.

Data Sources

This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View available EPA compliance records for Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley (NM3502407) on EPA.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley water safe to drink?

The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot contains zero violation records for Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley in the inclusive 2021-2026 record-year window. This is a compliance-record finding, not a guarantee about water at a specific tap.

How many people does Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley serve?

Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley serves approximately 11,542 people across 10 ZIP codes in New Mexico.

Where does Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley get its water?

The primary water source is groundwater.

Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected

This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected; the table compares each one with the EPA MCL where one exists (April 2024 rule, compliance required from 2029) and with this state's enforceable standard where one exists.

Samples collected
464
Detections
1
Latest sample
8/19/2024
Highest analyte
PFBS: 30.5 ppt
Analyte Max detected EPA MCL (compliance required from 2029) Status
PFBS 30.5 ppt No federal MCL โ€”

EPA's April 2024 PFAS rule sets MCLs of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS and 10 ppt for PFHxS, PFNA and HFPO-DA (GenX); water systems must comply from 2029. Other PFAS compounds have no individual federal MCL. A state standard is shown only where this system's state has its own enforceable PFAS limit. Detection results are EPA UCMR5 samples, not a measurement at your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) โ€” per-system federal sampling, 2023โ€“2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program โ†’

Understand PFAS health context and filtration โ†’

How Water Systems Appear in Rankings

Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use a water filter? ▼
No EPA drinking-water violations since 2021 are on record for Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley; this page does not establish contaminant levels at your tap. That is a compliance record, not a guarantee about the water at your tap; a certified filter can target a specific contaminant you are concerned about.
How many people does Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley serve? ▼
Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley serves approximately 11,542 people with drinking water across 10 ZIP codes.
What is Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley's water source? ▼
Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley draws water from groundwater sources. Source type affects which contaminants are most likely to be present.
Is there lead in Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley's water? ▼
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result on record is 0.001 mg/L (sample period ending 2023-12-31). This is at or below the EPA lead action level, which triggers system action and is not a safe level; the EPA health goal for lead is zero.
What is the demographic profile of the ZIP codes associated with Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley? ▼
The ZIP codes mapped to Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley have a median household income of $50,601 (Census ZIP-code estimate). In CEJST data, 66% of census tracts in the counties mapped to this area are designated disadvantaged (average across mapped ZIP codes), which may indicate greater vulnerability to environmental health risks.
Where does Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley get its water? ▼
Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley's water is classified in EPA records as a groundwater source. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table. Based on the available data, the modeled source-contamination category is moderate; test local water to assess actual exposure.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley, NM: Serves 12K People. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/nm3502407/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-water-system-nm3502407,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Lower Rio Grande Pwwa South Valley, NM: Serves 12K People}},
  year   = {n.d.},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/nm3502407/}
}
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