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Albuquerque Water Quality: Arsenic, Aquifer Depletion, and Kirtland AFB Contamination

March 20, 2026
Albuquerque New Mexico skyline with Sandia Mountains in background

A City Built on an Aquifer

For most of its modern history, Albuquerque relied almost entirely on groundwater from the Middle Rio Grande Basin aquifer — a vast underground reservoir beneath the city. By the early 2000s, that dependence had become unsustainable. Decades of pumping had drawn down water levels by as much as 160 feet in some areas, and it became clear the aquifer wasn’t recharging fast enough to keep pace with the city’s growth.

In 2008, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) opened the San Juan–Chama Drinking Water Project, which diverts surface water from the San Juan River (a Colorado River tributary) through a tunnel under the Continental Divide and into the Rio Grande. That surface water now supplies the majority of Albuquerque’s drinking water, with groundwater wells serving as a supplemental and backup source.

The shift to surface water improved the aquifer situation — water levels have partially recovered — but it introduced new water quality challenges.

Arsenic: New Mexico’s Legacy Contaminant

Arsenic in groundwater is a defining water quality issue for Albuquerque and much of New Mexico. The element occurs naturally in the volcanic and sedimentary geology of the Rio Grande Rift, and many of Albuquerque’s groundwater wells produce water with arsenic concentrations near or above the EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 parts per billion (ppb).

When the EPA lowered the arsenic standard from 50 ppb to 10 ppb in 2006, it was a watershed moment for Southwestern water utilities. Albuquerque had to invest in arsenic treatment for its well water — a major factor in the decision to shift to surface water as the primary supply.

Some wells have been taken offline entirely because arsenic removal wasn’t cost-effective. Others have been equipped with treatment systems or are blended with lower-arsenic surface water to meet the standard.

For residents on private wells in the greater Albuquerque area — including the East Mountains, South Valley, and unincorporated Bernalillo County — arsenic remains a serious concern. Private wells aren’t subject to EPA public water system regulations, and many haven’t been tested. The New Mexico Environment Department recommends all private well owners test for arsenic.

Long-term exposure to arsenic at levels above the MCL has been associated with increased risk of bladder, lung, and skin cancer, as well as cardiovascular and neurological effects.

Kirtland Air Force Base: The Fuel Plume

One of Albuquerque’s most significant environmental contamination events sits beneath its southeast quadrant. Starting in the late 1990s, investigators discovered that millions of gallons of aviation fuel had leaked from underground storage tanks at Kirtland Air Force Base over several decades.

The resulting contaminant plume — containing jet fuel compounds (ethylene dibromide, benzene, toluene) and other hazardous chemicals — has been migrating through the aquifer toward Albuquerque’s drinking water wells. The plume extends over roughly 10,000 acres and reaches depths of 500 feet or more.

The Air Force has been conducting remediation through a pump-and-treat system and soil vapor extraction, but progress has been slow and controversial. Community groups and the New Mexico Environment Department have pushed for more aggressive cleanup, arguing that the plume poses a threat to the city’s backup water supply.

More recently, PFAS contamination from Kirtland AFB has also been identified. The military’s historical use of AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) — the same source of contamination at Camp Lejeune and Honolulu’s Red Hill for fire training has introduced per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances into the groundwater. Testing has confirmed PFAS in monitoring wells near the base, though the full extent of PFAS migration is still being characterized.

Surface Water Challenges

The shift to San Juan–Chama surface water solved some problems but created others. The Rio Grande’s water quality is influenced by upstream agricultural activity in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, urban runoff from Albuquerque itself, and seasonal variations in flow.

The surface water treatment plant uses conventional treatment with ozone disinfection followed by biologically active filtration — a more advanced process than many utilities employ. This approach reduces disinfection byproduct formation compared to chlorine-only treatment.

However, the long-term reliability of the San Juan–Chama diversion depends on Colorado River hydrology — and the Colorado River basin has been in a multi-decade drought. As upstream allocations are renegotiated and climate change reduces snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, Albuquerque’s imported surface water supply faces the same existential pressure affecting cities across the Southwest, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Tucson.

What About the Tap Water Today?

ABCWUA’s treated water consistently meets all EPA standards. The blending of surface water and treated groundwater has improved water quality compared to the groundwater-only era — particularly for arsenic, hardness, and total dissolved solids.

Current monitoring shows:

The water utility publishes detailed annual water quality reports and has been transparent about the challenges posed by the Kirtland contamination plume and arsenic geology.

What Residents Can Do

If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and recommend solutions specific to Albuquerque’s unique water chemistry and contamination risks.

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