The long-awaited $2.92 million reconstruction of Reservoir One in Aztec, which got underway last week, is expected to be completed in late September.
Reservoir One is on New Mexico Highway 173, southeast of the Aztec Water Treatment Plant. Water is sourced from the Animas River by the Aztec Ditch.
Ruben Salcido, Aztec public works director, said the roughly 280-day contract was awarded to Sychar LLC of Bloomfield. Sychar has said it was a week ahead of schedule.
Salcido said the demolition phase and removal of concrete is underway on the 20-million-gallon reservoir.
Reservoir One stores about 10 million gallons of raw water, has about 2.2 acres of surface area, and is about 18 feet deep.
The surface area for Reservoir Two also is about 2.2 acres, but information on its depth was unavailable. Tiger Park Lake is the third reservoir.
Salcido said the completed reservoir, which was built in 1954 and expanded in 1986, will improve water supply in Aztec. He blamed recent water-quality problems on mineral buildup in distribution lines. When lines are flushed, the buildup is disturbed, resulting in brownish water.
Funding for the project came from the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and the New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee, Salcido said.
“It's been a long time to get grant funding available for this, so we're all excited … to see this completed. We can get back to normal operating parameters,” said Salcido.
Aztec Mayor Mike Padilla said the project has two phases. The first involves a concrete ditch that feeds both reservoirs. Salcido said the ditch was lined for 443 feet with shotcrete, or sprayed concrete. Old concrete, weeds and silt were removed from the reservoir bottom.
The rebuilt reservoir will get about 6 inches of concrete on the bottom and the walls, and a membrane covering to seal the reservoir.
Padilla said a walkway leading to the pumps will push the water directly to the water treatment plant below.
He’s hopeful the project will be completed on schedule, so that the reservoir will be filled before ditch water is shut off for the season.
Padilla said it was the top issue when he began his tenure.
“Fortunately the commission got behind it,” he said, adding local state legislators helped to secure funding.
Reps. Ryan Lane and Rod Montoya and Sen. Steve Neville all got behind the project, Padilla said.
Padilla said that because Sychar’s bid was considerably lower than others, more than $1 million will be available for other projects.
“I am excited to see this,” Padilla said. “The city has needed it for years.”
