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The Las Cruces City Council adopted an ordinance Monday to help prevent the contamination of the city’s water supply through the removal of septic tanks.
A unanimously adopted ordinance will require hundreds of homes to move onto the city’s sewer system, following an update to the municipal code by the Las Cruces City Council.
The Water and Wastewater System Master Plan Update, which has been in development since 2008, includes a prioritization plan to help keep the Las Cruces water supply clean. Preventing water supply contamination from septic tanks was cited as the main reason for the code change.
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The Las Cruces City Council is reviewing proposed code changes that would direct homes with septic tanks to connect to the city’s sewer system.
Hundreds of houses could be required to move onto the city sewer system if a proposed council ordinance is adopted. The Las Cruces City Council reviewed the ordinance, which would modify the current municipal code to include mandatory sewer hook-ups, during a work session Monday.
Interim Assistant Utilities Director Adrienne Widmer says the switch from septic tanks was proposed in order to prevent sewage contamination.
“The plan was developed to determine the potential of contamination from leached wastewater from septic tanks into our water supply,” Widmer said. “Based on that plan, nearly 2,000 parcels with septic tank locations were identified.”