Why does the BDD Project support proposed more stringent river water quality standards if the river already meets current standards?
The BDD Project is confident that its water quality protection strategy will ensure BDD Project drinking water that is better than all federal and state safe drinking water requirements. Studies have shown that the Rio Grande almost always has water quality that will comply with the most stringent standards advocated for contaminants of LANL origin. However, the BDD Project Board and Staff must be certain that storm water runoff from LANL is managed and regulated to ensure contaminants are contained on LANL property and do not reach the Rio Grande. There is an on-going need to establish the proposed more stringent river quality standards and criteria so that agencies and consumers have an official benchmark for their interpretation of water quality information in the future when the Rio Grande becomes the main source of Santa Fe’s public drinking water supply.
