Water Service

City of Santa Fe Water is responsible for ensuring a safe, reliable, and resilient water supply for the City of Santa Fe. We are also responsible for ensuring that water gets to homes, businesses, and other water users 24/7, 365 days a year. This includes managing water pressure, fixing leaks, installing new service lines and water meters, and maintaining pipelines and fire hydrants. We are also responsible for 9,000 valves that help move water across town, traveling over a 1,000-foot elevation difference.

Water Service for New Development

New construction and developments requiring a new metered service connection must complete an Agreement to Construct and Dedicate (ACD) packet. You can find the required forms and applications to be submitted here: ACD Application Packet for New Development.

For questions about the process, contact customer service. 

The City of Santa Fe requires development projects attempting to obtain new water services to offset new demands on the City's water system. A water budget approved by the Water Budget Office will determine the amount of water required to be offset, usually by obtaining water rights. Visit the Engineering Division web page of the Land Use Department for the appropriate Water Budget Office contact and to learn more about the City's land development code.

Construction Standards And Approved Contractors

Projects in the City of Santa Fe that will be constructed and dedicated (see ACD packet link above) must adhere to mandated construction standards and use an approved Santa Fe Water contractor for all work.

• 2020 Construction Standards
• For details on fire sprinkler system design requirements, contact customer service.

Water Bank, Water Right Acquisitions, And Compliance

Residential, mixed, and commercial developments with water demand larger than 10, 7.5, and 5 acre-feet per year (AFY) are considered above-threshold developments. They must offset their water demand by purchasing an equivalent amount of Middle Rio Grande water rights and transferring them into Santa Fe Water's Buckman Wellfield permit – pumping of the Buckman Wellfield impacts the Rio Grande, and nearby tributaries and Santa Fe Water must have water rights in the wellfield greater than this impact.

Water offset fees charged to developers are used to support conservation efforts, for the purchase of Middle Rio Grande water rights, and for the purchase of toilet retrofit credits. Developments under the threshold can purchase water rights or pay a water offset fee.

The City acquires water rights through three main programs:

• The Water Right Transfer Program links development to water by requiring that projects with new water demand either purchase water conserved by customers (e.g., through the water conservation rebate program) or by acquiring water rights and transferring them to the City.
• The Water Bank Program allows purchases of pre-1907 Middle Rio Grande water rights to be deposited in the City's water bank. The owner of the water rights may then sell the water rights to any developer who needs water under the Water Right Transfer Program (above) Provisional Water Bank Roster.
• The City's Water Acquisition Program, with an annual budget of $400,000, purchases pre-1907, Middle Rio Grande, and other water rights needed to support the City's other water rights and water supply.

Water Right Compliance

The City of Santa Fe regularly meets the water rights permit conditions required by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. Permit conditions require the City to measure and report water use and water level changes under the Buckman Well Field Water Level Monitoring Program and the Northwest Well Monitoring Program.

Under the Buckman Direct Diversion permit, the City is required to measure and report monthly diversion amounts from the Rio Grande, track and report the release of San Juan-Chama water from Abiquiu Reservoir, annually calculate the City's GPCD as a measure of water use efficiency, and submit a water conservation plan every five years.

For Businesses And Developers

Most residents and businesses requiring water service will initiate an account transfer through the Utility Billing Division. However, in some cases, a new property owner – or an owner of a property with a well that would like to join the city system – will need a new metered service connection. This requires an Agreement for Metered Service (AMS). You can find the AMS utility service application and details on the approval process here: AMS Application and Instructions.

The City of Santa Fe requires development projects attempting to obtain new water services to offset new demands on the City's water system. A water budget approved by the Water Budget Office will determine the amount of water required to be offset, usually by obtaining water rights. Visit the Engineering Division web page of the Land Use Department for the Water Budget Office contact information.

Frozen Water Meters

Winterizing your home, business, or irrigation system is an important consideration for property owners and residents of Santa Fe. Plumbing is especially susceptible to cold weather and freezing. Any exposed water piping in unheated and non-insulated spaces, such as in a crawlspace, attic, or outside walls, should be insulated.

Below-freezing temperatures sustained over a few days can cause water pipes and meters to freeze. Special attention should be given when the outdoor air temperature does not rise above freezing during daytime hours. This can stop water service to your home and may be expensive to repair or replace. Property owners are responsible for protecting pipes from the meter and throughout their property.

What To Do If Your Water Meter Freezes

• If you suspect the water meter is frozen, contact Customer Service during business hours. 
• After 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, call us at 505-955-4300.
• During a long freezing spell, crews may be very busy and unable to respond immediately.
• Do not call more than once – this may create more than one work order and delay a response.

Water Meter Calibration

Water meters can be damaged and deteriorate with age, eventually producing inaccurate readings. Inaccurate readings will give misleading information regarding water usage, possibly causing inaccurate billing and making leak detection difficult. All meters, especially older ones, are regularly tested and recalibrated by the City to ensure accurate accounting and billing. After determining the accuracy of the metering system, Santa Fe Water schedules activities necessary to correct meter deficiencies. If you suspect that your meter may be inaccurate, contact customer service.

Domestic Wells 

The City of Santa Fe requires permitting before any wells can be drilled for domestic purposes within the City. To qualify for a permit, a proposed domestic well must meet at least one of the following criteria:

The nearest water line to the property served by the proposed domestic well must be greater than 300 feet from the nearest city water line; or

The cost of connecting to City water must be higher than the cost of drilling a new domestic well.

To get a City permit, visit the City of Santa Fe Water offices to evaluate the property location in relation to existing water distribution infrastructure. If the property served by the proposed well is determined to be greater than 300 feet from an existing water line, a domestic well permit will be opened, and the process can move forward through the water division as well as the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer.

If a property owner would like to qualify for a domestic well permit based on the cost of connecting to the City water system compared to the cost of well construction, bids will be required for both services. We still recommend visiting the Santa Fe Water offices for this process to review all requirements.

Domestic Well Meter Readings and Conservation

City-licensed domestic well owners must have a meter installed and collect monthly meter readings. The readings must be submitted to Santa Fe Water by February 1 of each year. To submit monthly readings, call the Customer Service number. They will give you instructions on how to fill out the Domestic Well Reading Form and where to submit readings.

Water produced by domestic wells within the City of Santa Fe is subject to all municipal rules governing water conservation, including restrictions on outdoor watering and eligibility for rebate programs. For more information on proper well construction, routine well maintenance, water testing, and more, visit wellowner.org.

Discolored Water

Occasionally, water can move too quickly through our distribution pipes (most commonly caused by main breaks), disrupting naturally occurring chemical deposits inside the pipes and resulting in discolored water. Less frequently, chemical changes in our treated water can do the same thing. Although we never want our customers to experience discolored water, and we apologize for the inconvenience, the color does not indicate that the water is unsafe.

If you experience discolored water coming out of your tap, you can follow these steps to flush your lines. Please note that the City of Santa Fe will not reimburse you for water used for flushing.

Home Flushing Guidelines:

1. Turn on your cold water.
2. Leave cold water running for about 5 minutes. If the water doesn’t clear, turn off your water and wait 20 minutes, then try again.
3. You can capture the flushed water and use it to water plants, trees, and grass around your home.
4.  If this doesn’t work, or if you don’t want to flush the lines in your home, call us at 505-955-4333 so we can send someone out to have a look and possibly flush a nearby hydrant.