Environment Department confirms boil water advisory for La Joya MDWCA in Socorro County 

La Joya MDWCA users should boil water for one minute (three minutes for elevations above 6,500 feet) before using it for drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing infant formula, brushing teeth, preparing drinks, making ice or providing drinking water to pets.

Source: New Mexico Environment Department

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Water Protection Compliance and Enforcement Bureau has confirmed a boil water advisory for the La Joya Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association (MDWCA) in Socorro County, after bacterial contamination – including E. coli — was found in repeat samples from the system’s distribution network.

La Joya MDWCA users should boil water for one minute (three minutes for elevations above 6,500 feet) before using it for drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing infant formula, brushing teeth, preparing drinks, making ice or providing drinking water to pets. 

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The advisory applies only to drinking water provided by La Joya MDWCA, a system serving approximately 246 users and does not extend to any other surrounding water systems. 

E. coli in drinking water indicates the water may have been contaminated through contact with sewage or animal waste and could contain disease-causing organisms. While most strains of E. coli are harmless and naturally occur in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, a positive E. coli test in a drinking water supply may indicate the presence of harmful strains. These organisms can cause severe gastrointestinal illness and, in rare cases, death. Children, older adults and people with compromised immune systems may face an increased risk of illness. 

NMED’s WPCEB will provide compliance oversight and technical assistance to La Joya MDWCA. The department will require the water system to continue testing until monitoring confirms that no further threat of contamination remains. 

For more facts about New Mexico’s Boil Water Advisories in English and Spanish please visit:  https://www.env.nm.gov/drinking_water/boil-water-advisories/ and for more information on today’s announcement please call NMED’s WPCEB Compliance Supervisor, Brandi Littleton at 575-323-4298.