STARTING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, THE ALBUQUERQUE-BERNALILLO COUNTY WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY BEGINS ITS ANNUAL WATER STORAGE PROJECT. UTILITY SPOKESMAN DAVID MORRIS SAYS IT INVOLVES PUMPING DIVERTED WATER FROM THE RIO GRANDE UP TO THE HEIGHTS WHERE IT IS THEN RELEASED INTO BEAR CANYON SO IT CAN INFILTRATE DOWN TO THE AQUIFER FOR STORAGE.
HE SAYS IT’S THEIR ONLY AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT. BUT THE AUTHORITY HAS PLANS FOR LARGER SCALE PROJECTS THAT WILL ACTUALLY DIRECTLY INJECT THE WATER TO THE AQUIFER INSTEAD OF ALLOWING IT TO INFILTRATE THROUGH THE SOIL.
THE WATER WILL BE RELEASED AT A RATE OF 3-THOUSAND GALLONS A MINUTE WITH THE GOAL OF EVENTUALLY STORING AROUND 400-MILLION GALLONS.
