Sabias de Agua * Water Sages

On September 7, 2007, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABC WUA) hosted a Town Hall.   

 "The purpose of the town hall was to obtain community input on  proposed policies that are being considered by the Water Authority to ensure  a safe and sustainable supply of water into the future." ABCWUA.org  website

Two Public Hearings will be held between September 27 and November 2007, at which time the Water Utility Authority Board will adopt the revised Water Policies.

Budget, Goals & Water Management Policies Interim Report 

Background Appendix

Compare draft WRMS

Draft Water Resources Management Strategy Policies

^  On October 5, 2006, the Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC) approved the Budget, Goals & Water Management Policies Interim Report.  While this is no longer available on the ABCWUA's website, it can be found here.

^  The Interim Report referred to an appendix of information.  Much of that can be found in the Background Appendix, found here.

The WRAC was disbanded by the ABCWUA, and the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) was created.  Beginning in March 2007, the CAC reviewed the WRAC's report, as edited by ABCWUA staff. 

^  Not many changes were made by the CAC between March and September, as can be seen in the comparison.

It is that edited document --the draft Water Resources Management Strategy Policies (WRMS)-- which was to be commented upon at the September 7 Water Resources Town Hall. 

^  To encourage thoughtful input, the draft policies were posted here.

^  In preparation for the Town Hall, I carefully reviewed the draft strategies.  The Comments and draft WRMS with suggestions, posted here, are the results.

^  Feeling that much was missing in the draft product --such as a mission for the policies to strive toward--, I wrote a cover letter, here.  I also suggested that there should be a great deal more dialogue before the WRMS were ready for approval.

^  The WRAC's report included a set of Core Concept.  "Integrating these core principles into every action will go far in protecting our water future."

^  To ensure that these materials were considered by the CAC, I sent them electronically, along with another letter, this time expressing concerns about the Town Hall and lack of the review of the policies, found here.

^  Finally, because I was asked to put the material into the form of questions, I started to do just that! 

^  The Town Hall Report, found here,    was reviewed by the CAC with no changes made to the draft WRMS other than to append the report to the draft policies.

^  To enable better management of information, a Briefing File was created with loads of information.  Included as a separate file is a one page illustration of the history of the water budget (4578 kb)

^  Comments were made to the WUA Board on September 19 to consider the need for action now.

^  On October 15, staff posted the final WRMS to be adopted by the WUA Board.

For more about the Water Utility Authority or the Town Hall, proceed to abcwua.org.  The Town Hall was organized by Shared Vision http://www.sharedvision.info.  The report, issued a week later, can be found at http://daystar2.cabq.gov:81/Attachments/6171.pdf

Please browse freely!