This story originally appeared in The Independent News ("The Indy"), the monthly local newspaper serving the East Mountains, Edgewood and Estancia Valley since 1999.
Developing a strategy wasn’t on Fox Morgan’s to-do list, but planning every detail of her life has been her best course of action for the past few months, as she’s resorted to drastic measures to get by and adapted despite it all.
She jokingly states that her former experience as a Girl Scout and a bartender prepared her for this moment, but her first days were clouded by confusion and indignation that briefly paralyzed her.
“Strategy mostly,” she said when asked what her daily life looks like without running water. “You strategize when you eat, when you need to flush the toilet. I have to go over to my dad’s house to shower. So I have to pack up the kids. I have to boil water in order to get hot water to wash enough dishes to keep them from piling up. With kids, you have to make sure you have clean dishes.”
Morgan has two children, 1 and 3, who are currently potty training and, as one could imagine, make more mess than one can handle. Without water, she described the process as “incredibly hard.”
For residents of Melody Ranch, a small community near Edgewood, daily life has become a test of resilience, strategy and patience.
Since early summer, households have gone without consistent access to running water, leaving many scrambling to meet basic needs like bathing, cooking and staying cool in record heat, even losing a potentially productive and relaxing four-day weekend to the ongoing outage.
Jennifer and Ray Collins, residents of Melody Ranch, also described how the issue has impacted them.
They told The Independent that since December, they’ve experienced increasingly lower water pressure, with a total loss of service by June.
The issue began with low pressure in early June and soon escalated into full shutoffs.
“When I’d call to pay my bill, I would talk to the representative and say, you know, has our usage gone up, which would indicate that I have a leak? And they would tell me, No, no, your usage is consistent, so you don’t have a leak. So we’ll look into it. Of course, they don’t really meet our meter,” said Ray Collins, describing how he first noticed something was off with the service in December.
The couple reached out repeatedly to Melody Ranch Water Co., the privately owned provider. Ray Collins said he was told their usage was consistent—indicating no leaks—but was given no explanation for the worsening service.
According to their timeline (Ray’s calculations), initial pressure fluctuations started in December, the pressure was reduced to half in March and by June, no water was available any longer.
Morgan said the outages are unpredictable and often unannounced.
“It would turn off by, like, seven o’clock, and then it wouldn’t turn on till, like, you know, 6, 6:30 in the morning. I’m up at five, but I’m like, I need water,” Morgan explained when she first started noticing the issue.
Despite continuous complaints, they report little to no communication or resolution from Melody Ranch Water Co.
“They’re clear as mud on all this,” Jennifer said. “They don’t want to give us any information at all. We don’t know anything that’s going on.”
Efforts to contact the company directly have been frustrating. The water system is reportedly managed by a private individual, Tracy Padilla, whose office address appears to be a residence and who also operates a second well system in Echo Ridge.
While voicemail recordings are updated occasionally, residents say they’re left with more questions than answers.
Morgan shared a similar experience, saying she struggled to even get through to the emergency contact line after discovering a stuck valve that was wasting water.
“I had to call at least five times just to get the emergency number down,” she said. “It’s said so fast on the voicemail. I just didn’t want to waste any more water.”
The lack of transparency has added to the mental strain. Morgan described the emotional toll, especially for families and vulnerable individuals.
“The mental effect of not having water is very hard,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine someone already struggling with depression finally getting the motivation to do something, only to realize they don’t have water. That would crush you.”
“I couldn’t imagine, you know, the elderly, just some somebody else that maybe is like bottle feeding, and they can’t walk. They’re struggling to wash their child’s bottles, like I can imagine the eventual effect of that,” Morgan added.
Meanwhile, residents continue to be billed for a service they’re no longer receiving.
“That’s what gets me, we’re still being charged our monthly bill,” Jennifer Collins said.
”The owner of this water company is not doing anything. Like, Oh, by the way, here’s some water, you know, here, you know, come and get it. I bought y’all water or something, you know, or here’s some vouchers or something, go do laundry or take a shower at the truck stop, or, you know, anything.”
Ray added that, unlike previous outages, when the company at least communicated the problem, this time there’s only silence.
“In the past, when there was an issue, they were open with it—they were very transparent about we had a pump go down, now they’re not being transparent at all.
Melody Ranch residents have also taken to social media to voice their concerns, finding solace in helping each other out and creating community in this difficult situation. Such concerns have also garnered a formal response from state regulators.
The utility’s only public contact information is a P.O. Box in Albuquerque and a phone number listed on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission’s website.
The NMPRC confirmed it is aware of the disruption and has engaged with Melody Ranch Water Company directly.
“The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission is aware of the service disruption affecting the Melody Ranch Water Company. In response to customer complaints, the NMPRC’s Consumer Relations Division has been in contact with Melody Ranch to receive updates and learn what steps are being taken to restore water service to normal levels, said Patrick Rodriguez, Public Information Officer, New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.
“Additionally, the NMPRC’s Utility Division has contacted Melody Ranch to discuss potential causes of the disruption and any needed repairs. Both the Consumer Relations Division and the Utility Division will continue to provide support in resolving this issue.”
The commission pledged to continue supporting efforts to resolve the issue, though no specific timeline for restoration has been announced.
Melody Ranch Water Company is listed as a regulated utility under the NMPRC. This status allows residents to file formal complaints and hold the company accountable under state utility regulations.
As a regulated utility, Melody Ranch Water Company is subject to oversight and potential penalties by the NMPRC for failure to provide essential services.
Residents are encouraged to:
- Document all outages, expenses and communications
- File complaints with the NMPRC Consumer Relations Division
- Consult attorneys specializing in utility or landlord-tenant law, if needed
Some relief has come from community efforts—like a local feed store offering water and residents posting updates on Nextdoor and East Mountain 411—but many say it’s not enough, and question why the utility owner has remained silent.
“We would just like answers,” Jennifer said. “ We’d love to have some options, and we’re not getting any of that.
Despite the hardship, some are trying to stay hopeful.
“I just want the water back, I’m sure that’s what everybody wants,” Morgan said. “I don’t see another solution, other than them just turning back on the water. I’m not going to demand they give compensation. I’m not trying to sue them or anything like that. I’ve got too much going on in my life. I just want water back. That’s all I want.”
The Independent attempted to contact the Melody Ranch Water Company but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Residents affected by the water outage can file a complaint with the NMPRC by calling 1-888-427-5772 or visiting www.prc.nm.gov.