The state is opening another $35 million funding round for projects designed to treat brackish water and reduce pressure on freshwater supplies

Organ Mountain News report

SANTA FE - New Mexico is putting another $35 million behind an increasingly urgent question: Can salty groundwater become a meaningful part of the state’s future water supply?

The New Mexico Environment Department and Office of the State Engineer opened a second round of Strategic Water Supply funding Thursday for projects that develop, treat and put brackish water to beneficial use.

Brackish water is naturally occurring salty groundwater that generally must be treated before it can be used. State officials say developing those supplies could reduce pressure on freshwater sources already strained by drought, population growth and a warming climate.

The new funding round places greater emphasis on infrastructure and projects capable of producing treated water, moving beyond research and planning toward real-world supply.

“New Mexico cannot wait for water scarcity to dictate our future,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “By investing in brackish water, we can develop new supplies to support our communities and economy while protecting the freshwater supplies that New Mexicans, agriculture and our environment depend on.”

The program is part of the governor’s 50-Year Water Action Plan, which calls for developing new sources of water alongside conservation and water-quality protections.

This year’s funding is available across five project categories: construction, design pilots, environmental documentation and demonstration projects, feasibility assessments and research studies.

Construction funding can be used to build or expand full-scale brackish water treatment facilities and related infrastructure. Design pilots are intended to test technologies before full-scale deployment, while feasibility and research grants can be used to determine whether projects are technically and economically viable.

The state is also introducing a process intended to encourage public-private partnerships that pair community water needs with private-sector technology and investment.

“New Mexico is moving from studying water scarcity to investing in solutions that can deliver results,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said. “This next round of Strategic Water Supply funding will help move brackish water projects from research and planning to infrastructure, treatment and beneficial use.”

The question has particular relevance in southern New Mexico, where long-term water planning has included brackish groundwater and desalination among possible strategies for supplementing increasingly stressed freshwater supplies.

State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson said the worsening drought makes the search for new supplies more urgent.

“As we face some of the worst drought conditions on record, it is more important than ever to look for opportunities to develop new water supplies,” Anderson said.

The Strategic Water Supply Act, passed in 2025, created the program to support projects from early research through design, permitting and construction.

State officials say selected projects are expected to help develop more reliable water supplies, advance treatment technologies, support economic development and improve drought resilience.

Applications for grant funding are now open through the New Mexico Environment Department’s Strategic Water Supply Program. A separate request for proposals for contract-funded projects is expected in the coming weeks.

For questions about the Strategic Water Supply Program, email StrategicWater@env.nm.gov or contact Catherine Conran at 505-470-7443.