By Hannah Grover
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority released its annual consumer confidence report last week.
The report details the water quality in 2024, including levels of heavy metals, bacteria and turbidity. Utility customers will receive the report in the mail.
The report shows that the water it provides customers is safe to consume and meets all of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s criteria for potable water. However, on its website, the ABCWUA states that no drinking water is free from all contaminants and some advocates claim the allowable levels set by the EPA are inadequate.
In the report, the water utility authority states that the presence of contaminants does not necessarily mean the water poses a health risk.
“Contaminants come in many forms, both natural and manmade, and can enter the sources of our drinking water in a number of ways, including dissolution of naturally occurring minerals,” the report states.
In addition to regulated substances, the report outlines levels of unregulated contaminants, including various types of PFAS chemicals, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. According to the report, the various PFAS chemicals the ABCWUA tested for in 2024 were not found in the system. The utility authority began testing for PFAS in June 2024.
There are parts of the system where the geology leads to higher levels of arsenic, however the detected levels are within the range allowable for drinking water, according to the report.
While the consumer confidence report doesn’t show elevated levels of lead in samples taken from the ABCWUA system, individual households may experience higher levels of lead or copper due to their plumbing fixtures. People can schedule tests by going to abcwua.org/your-drinking-water-lead-sample-collection-request.