New aquifer discovered on West Mesa

Posted at: 07/25/2008 12:48:05 PM

By: Eyewitness News 4

Print Story Email to a Friend

New aquifer discovered on West Mesa

A new potential source of water for the Albuquerque metro has been discovered under the West Mesa. The deep-water aquifer was discovered on land owned by Atrisco Oil and Gas just north of Interstate 40 between two volcanoes. An Atrisco spokesman says the water is trapped in a triangular fault block and could be as deep as 7,000 feet below the surface. Atrisco officials say the company will need to do more testing on the water before they’ll know if it is safe for human consumption. “We believe through our samples that we have the capability through a treatment process to commercialize this water and make it available to the Albuquerque community,” said Peter Sanchez of Atrisco Oil and Gas. The testing is expected to take at least two years and cost more than a million dollars to complete. This is the first deep-water project in the Albuquerque area. There are two more in the state: one near Ruidoso, the other in Sandoval County