![]() What managers can do to meet challenges 1. Paying for infrastructure with their own money can be hard, as MDWCAs are generally very small, with more than a quarter of systems having less than 50 connections. When systems do not receive adequate infrastructure funding, they either have to fund the project out of their own money, which may be limited and put a cost burden on their customers, or they defer upgrades which may cause regulatory or other problems for the system. If a water system doesn’t have adequate personnel to operate and maintain their system, they almost surely do not have the bandwidth to navigate the bureaucracy of applying for and receiving public funding. Many current board members are aging out of their positions, and they are struggling to attract new members due to the lack of pay and significant time demand and responsibility of the position. Unfortunately, these challenges are linked. Two of the biggest challenges facing MDWCAs are attracting and retaining board members and maintaining and replacing aging infrastructure. PHOTO BY TUCKER COLVINĭespite the advantages that may come with having a water system designated as a MDWCA, many systems are facing numerous challenges. WATER STORAGE TANK FOR A SMALL MDWCA IN NEW MEXICO. One advantage of being an MDWCA, as opposed to another organizational structure, such as a cooperative or non-profit organization, is eligibility for infrastructure funding from a wider array of sources, including grants and low interest loans. These requirements are in addition to the general requirements for all community drinking water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act. As local governments, MDWCAs have to abide by many state regulations and satisfy reporting requirements, including the Open Meetings Act and auditing and budgeting reporting. MDWCAs are technically political subdivisions of the state government, but the systems are managed and operated by residents, most of whom serve in volunteer capacities. Today, MDWCAs exist throughout the state, but are most common in rural, low-income, and majority Hispanic communities-especially on historic Spanish land grants in Northern New Mexico. The early years of the program were regarded as a success, and by 1969, 139 MDWCAs had been created serving 5,477 families. The goal of the act was to improve public health by providing state resources to low-income rural communities to improve their drinking water infrastructure. Before this act, many communities were sourcing their drinking water from acequias (open irrigation ditches) or shallow wells and consuming it untreated. The organizational structure of MDWCA, known since 1965 as the Sanitary Projects Act (SPA), was originally created by legislative statute in 1947 and evolved throughout the years to its current structure. In New Mexico, 37% of the state’s community drinking water systems are organized as Mutual Domestic Water Consumer’s Associations (MDWCAs). PHOTO BY TUCKER COLVIN History of MDWCAs in New Mexico
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