Niagara is coming back a FOURTH time, with a renewed request to take more than 228 MILLION gallons of water per year from the Albuquerque aquifer, which lies under all of Valencia County.

Currently, Niagara Bottling takes 285 acre-feet/year (almost 93 MILLION gallons per year) from our aquifer.

Over the 5 years covered by their proposed request, Niagara will take 1.14+ BILLION gallons of water from the aquifer -- precious water that will not be recharged.

�There is no “Los Lunas aquifer.”�

The Albuquerque aquifer sustains all people and all living things in all of Valencia County, and in the entire Albuquerque Basin (from Cochiti to Socorro County). During this historic drought, in the most water-stressed state in the USA, water for our PEOPLE should be prioritized -- not water for corporate profit$!

Based on water usage data for the average NM resident, in one year Niagara Bottling would take as much water as almost 10% of Valencia County residents. For example, that's as much water as 87% of the residents of the city of Belen would use in a whole year.

�Niagara's paper water "RIGHTS" are WRONG for the rest of us�

In the 19th century, ideas about private ownership of “the commons” were superimposed onto the traditional communal agricultural communities of New Mexico. This led to a statewide water allocation system that treats our water as a commodity to be bought and sold for profit. 

Today, access to water in NM can be bought or leased through paper water rights. However, paper water rights do not actually account for the available water. In other words, it's like a massive shell game. More "paper water" rights are allocated than actual "wet water" that is available. 

Although Niagara Bottling has legal water rights on paper (leased from PNM, for example), we feel they are doing wrong with those rights. Bottling water in the desert, in the middle of a long-term drought, makes absolutely no sense!

What can you do? 

(1) Email and CALL the Village Council. (Phone = 505-839-3840)

Tell them why you think they should NOT amend the water agreement with Niagara to give the bottling company 228 million gallons of water per year.

• Mayor Charles Griego – GriegoC@loslunasnm.gov
• Councilor Christopher Ortiz (District 1) – OrtizC@loslunasnm.gov
• Councilor Gino Romero (District 2) – RomeroG@loslunasnm.gov
• Councilor Cruz Munoz (District 3) – MunozCr@loslunasnm.gov
• Councilor James Runyon (District 4) – RunyonJ@loslunasnm.gov

(2) Come to the Village Council meeting (if you can) when Niagara’s request will be considered. We will be there, and we hope to see you. We will have NO to NIAGARA signs to share.

• Their next meeting is November 17, 2022 at 6pm at the Los Lunas Administration building (<< map), 660 Main St. SW, Los Lunas, NM.

(3) Attend the Village Council meeting online (if you can’t be there in person). The WebEx online meeting link and password for the November 17th meeting will be posted on the Village website a few days before the meeting.

(4) Take our new water survey. We will (once again) share the results with the Village Council before they vote on Niagara’s latest request for MORE WATER.

(5) Come help us make “NO to NIAGARA” signs for the Village Council meeting. We will provide poster board and marking pens (and you’re welcome to bring your own, too…)

• November 15th at 2pm.
  Email us for location and directions.  (Valencia.Water.Watchers@gmail.com)
• November 17th at 4pm.
  (OR, if Niagara’s request is NOT on the Nov.17 agenda, this will be bumped to the day when Niagara IS on the Village Council’s agenda). Again, email us for location and directions.

(6) Join our Email List to receive updates as soon as we have new information about the next moves.

Thank you for all of your support! As you can see, this is a long battle...