Las Cruces officials push back against "irresponsible" public claims over Lead and Copper Rule compliance

Las Cruces officials push back against "irresponsible" public claims over Lead and Copper Rule complianceResidents allege the city's visual meter box inspections are inadequate for identifying lead and galvanized pipes, but councilors are warning against the spread of dangerous misinformation regarding local water quality.

Residents criticized the utility’s reliance on visual meter box inspections, claiming the method fails to identify lead or galvanized lines further up the service line.

Public commenters alleged the city has failed to issue EPA-required 30-day notices to properties with galvanized pipes, despite receiving a $15 million state grant for pipe replacement.

City Councilor Johana Bencomo strongly refuted claims that a local elementary school had galvanized piping, citing a December 2025 inspection that cleared the site.

Mayor Eric Enriquez defended the utility's credibility and testing protocols, pushing back against repeated public allegations of falsified water quality reports.

Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) is navigating a wave of public backlash regarding its compliance with the US EPA's Lead and Copper Rule, highlighting the communication and logistical challenges water systems face as they execute service line inventories. During a recent Las Cruces City Council meeting, multiple residents accused the utility of employing inadequate inspection methods and withholding information about galvanized and lead service lines. The core of the public's complaint centers on LCU's inventory methodology, which residents claim relies exclusively on visual inspections at the meter box. Commenters argued this approach is insufficient to detect lead-lined or galvanized piping located further along the customer-owned portion of the service line, advocating instead for mechanical excavation or potholing. Residents also questioned the utility's deployment of a $15 million grant from the New Mexico Finance Authority intended for lead and galvanized line replacement, alleging that LCU has failed to issue required 30-day notices to properties identified as having galvanized pipes. The public comments included severe allegations of falsified data in the utility's Consumer Confidence Reports. One resident claimed that the 2025 report for the University Estates water system omitted 2023 sampling data that showed lead levels of 18 and 24 parts per billion—above the EPA's action level of 15 ppb. Another commenter specifically alleged that the city failed to notify Fairacres Elementary School of galvanized piping on its premises. The accusations prompted a firm defense from city leadership, who condemned the spread of misinformation regarding the municipal water supply. City Councilor Johana Bencomo directly refuted the claims regarding Fairacres Elementary School, calling the allegations "dangerous and irresponsible." Bencomo stated she had verified the school's status with the Chief Operations person for Las Cruces Public Schools, confirming that a field investigation conducted on December 18, 2025, documented the materials on both the public and customer sides of the meter pit. "The findings confirm that no galvanized materials were identified on either the city service line or the customer service line," Bencomo said, emphasizing the danger of allowing false claims about school water quality to go unchecked. Mayor Eric Enriquez also defended the integrity of LCU's water quality testing and regulatory compliance. He noted that utility subject matter experts had previously presented detailed explanations of the city's testing protocols and regulations to the public. "Some people just want to ignore the credibility and the work that our Utilities Department do to keep us safe," Enriquez stated. The dispute underscores the growing friction between municipalities and ratepayer advocacy groups over the transparency and technical rigor of service line inventories as utilities work to meet federal mandates.