Consultant assures water association its board can learn

Chuck Thomas with the Environment Department in Albuquerque talks with Bluewater Acres resident Lila Garcia about the possible problems that would keep chlorine out of her water that runs to her home on Tuesday afternoon at the Bluewater Acres Volunteer Fire Department, during an illegally posted meeting of the Bluewater Acres Water Association Board of Directors. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

Bluewater Acres Water Association Board of Directors President Ophelia Gonzales talks with other board members about the possible replacement of a water tank on Tuesday afternoon at the Bluewater Acres Volunteer Fire Department, during an illegally posted meeting of the Board. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

BLUEWATER ACRES — The two issues that brought about 18 members of the Bluewater Acres Water Association to a special meeting Tuesday problems with maintenance and possible illegal meetings under the state's Open Meetings Act, took up less than 10 minutes of a 70 minute meeting.

Andy Edmondson, of the New Mexico Construction Program, told the Bluewater Acres Water Association board of directors and the audience the mistakes of the past need to be forgotten.

"If members of the board, whether they made mistakes in procedures or under the Open Meetings Act, we can help teach them the right way to have board meetings," he said.

Although he said there is a learning curve for volunteer board members of rural associations such as Bluewater, President Ophelia Gonzales and most of the board members have been on the board for several years. She has attended several state level meetings that cover how to conduct a meeting under the Open Meetings Act.

The Attorney General has jurisdiction over the Open Meetings Act. If they don't follow the rules after we teach them, that's a different story, he said.

During the Tuesday meeting, Edmondson also talked briefly about the association not needing to go out to bid to purchase a used backhoe, for $75,000, if the board goes through the state and uses the state's purchasing procedures and the company that has the state's contract.

Jerry May, P.E., a senior engineer with Souder, Miller and Associates, an engineering firm out of Albuquerque, said his firm is now overseeing the design of a new well and water line that will eventually add 150,000 gallons a day water capacity to the water system.

Water tanks may fail
The current two water tanks are failing and will probably not last four months, so Edmondson suggested a temporary fix. The board passed an emergency resolution for the health and safety of the community in order the get a new temporary tank in place before the current ones fail.

A portable 10,000 polyethylene plastic water tank could be purchased for between $10-$15,000 and moved into place on one of the wells to allow the water system to have water while a new 30,000 gallon tank is bid out and constructed on a new site northeast of most of the residents of Bluewater Acres.

One major line leaking
One major water line, on Dolphin Street, is leaking all along the line and having problems every 20 feet where it joins together, and May said he thinks it may be falling apart.

The line may not have been installed properly. Also, a fire hydrant at one end of the line was placed on concrete bricks during construction, and they have failed as well.

Edmondson said with the backhoe, and work by the water system's maintenance operator and perhaps another laborer or two, the water line can be repaired.

The association has $50,000 available for repairs, and that money can be used anywhere in the system, for example, to purchase new water lines for the ones that are leaking.

New maintenance operator
A new maintenance operator, Joe Sanchez, has been hired for the association, but Lila Garcia, a member of the association, said he was hired by the President (Gonzales) without board approval. The bylaws require board approval, she said.

Edmondson said Sanchez is fairly knowledgeable and is "into his job," but has no certification and needs to be certified as soon as possible.

Sanchez said he is scheduled to take the operator's examination with the state on March 22.

Chuck Thomas, with the New Mexico Drinking Water Bureau, said there is a six month time frame for Sanchez to be certified, but since he is taking the exam so soon, he may not need a temporary certificate.

Maintenance on much of the lines and the wells were not completed for most of the second half of last year because the maintenance operator at that time became ill and was not able to complete his work, Edmondson said.

He said let's move forward and get the board working properly and get the construction done and the water system working.

A MIOX system that has failed should not have been put into place on such a small water system, both Edmondson and May agreed. A smaller chlorinator system, currently in place, using sodium hydrochloride to chemically clean the water, is appropriate and is working, both said.

Edmondson gave out his telephone number for anyone with concerns to call, he may be reached at (505) 222-9566.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.