The Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority is located and proudly serves Dona Ana County, New Mexico. For direct contact information, for customer service and billing information, please visit our service page here. For office locations and important numbers, please visit our customer service page found here.
We welcome you to our website, and look forward to serving your water & wastewater utility needs.
Proudly Serving Southern Dona Ana County
The Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority was formed by the merger of five water systems, Berino MDWC & MSWA, Desert Sands MDWCA, La Mesa MDWCA, Mesquite MDWC & MSWA and Vado MDWCA under state statute NMSA 1978 73-26-1 (2009 House Bill 185). In 2012, the members of Butterfield Park MDWCA, Organ WSA and Brazito MDWCA voted to merge with the Authority, in 2016 the Valle Del Rio Water System was acquired, in 2018 the members of High Valley MDWCA elected to merge and in 2022 the Rincon Water Consumers Co-op elected to convert to a Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association and then to merge with the Lower Rio Grande PWWA. With those mergers completed, the Authority now serves the residents of fifteen Colonias communities in southern Dona Ana County, New Mexico. Formation of this regional Authority gives the communities the ability to resolve many challenges that were previously affecting all eight associations and created additional benefits, such as:
- Economies of scale resulting in lower rates for customers
- Elimination of duplication of efforts
- Establishment of a defined service area
- Increased technical, managerial and financial capacity
- Increased efficiency of operations with appropriate level of staffing
- Increased ability to comply with regulations
- Increased ability to secure funding
- Increased drinking water reliability
- Increased accountability and oversight
- Increased transparency
- Board of Directors is responsible for governance & oversight, not management or operation
Your First Elected Board & Staff
Director Furman Smith, Projects Mgr Karen Nichols, General Mgr Martin Lopez, Tim Ohnes, intern; Finance Mgr Kathi Jackson; Past Director Blanca Martinez; Attorney, Josh Smith, Director Mike McMullen, Chair Marty Nieto, Secretary Santo Ruiz, Vice Chair John Holguin, Director Carlos Tellez.
