Las Cruces Utilities defends lead service line inventory methods amid public backlash

Las Cruces Utilities defends lead service line inventory methods amid public backlashThe New Mexico utility has temporarily paused proactive service line inspections as it works with a third-party consultant to finalize its inventory ahead of the EPA’s 2027 deadline, while firmly denying citizen allegations of data falsification.

Deputy Director Steve Perez confirmed no lead service lines have been found in the city to date, defending the utility's visual and physical inspection methods at meter boxes.

The utility is utilizing a $15 million funding package to complete its service line inventory, which will now include mobile home parks previously excluded due to master metering.

Citizens fiercely criticized the utility during a September 8 city council meeting, alleging manipulated data and inadequate responses to lead and coliform testing.

The city council also approved a CIP amendment for the Las Alturas water tank and booster station improvement project, correcting a grant award to $1.77 million.

Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) is facing intense public scrutiny over its handling of the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) inventory, prompting utility leadership to publicly defend their inspection protocols and deny allegations of fraud during a September 8 City Council meeting. During the public comment period, several citizens accused the department of manipulating data, failing to notify residents of elevated lead levels in the University Estates water system, and conducting inadequate source water monitoring following a coliform-positive sample in November 2025. Residents called for the resignation of the utilities director, claiming the department was downplaying risks to public health. Deputy Director Steve Perez addressed the council to "clear the air," stating unequivocally that no lead service lines have been discovered in Las Cruces to date. He defended the utility's methodology, which relies on scratch and magnet tests at the meter box rather than full-length excavations on private property. Perez noted this approach avoids the need for property access agreements and extravagant costs, and is widely accepted by the New Mexico Environment Department and the EPA. Perez acknowledged that some initial classification errors occurred when inexperienced inspectors identified lines as galvanized without performing a required magnet test, which has prompted reinspections. He also clarified that mobile home parks, which were initially excluded from the inventory because they sit behind master meters, will now be incorporated into the updated public map to comply with federal regulations. The utility has temporarily paused proactive field inspections while a newly hired third-party consultant reviews the existing data. A $15 million funding package will be used to pay the consultant and finalize the inventory ahead of the EPA’s November 1, 2027 deadline, with any remaining funds allocated for necessary service line replacements. In separate water infrastructure business, the City Council approved a Capital Improvements Program (CIP) amendment for the Las Alturas water tank and booster station improvement project. The amendment corrected a typographical error in the project's grant funding, increasing the recognized grant amount by $50,000 to $1.77 million.