Deb Haaland: “Today I am excited to announce that we’re investing $12.6 million dollars for the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Southern New Mexico!”
That’s Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, who made the announcement Wednesday morning along with Congressman Gabe Vasquez in front of the Visit Las Cruces building in downtown Las Cruces. The investment in the Alamogordo facility is part of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda, an effort to enhance the resilience of the West to drought and climate change.
“Specifically, this investment will treat PFAS (Per-and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances) found in the facility’s groundwater supply, restoring access to two research water supply wells that were previously closed, and bringing the facility back to full capacity. This facility is in an ideal location for desalination research and development, for reclamation, other government agencies, universities, and other private sector companies; and is leading the way on cutting-edge investments in desalination…We have an incredible opportunity with this historic investment in water infrastructure to make progress on our mission and advance drought resiliency.”
Congressman Gabe Vasquez added: “I’m so very excited to help announce this investment today in Otero County, in Alamogordo, in a place that prides itself in the Brackish water research; and also in some of the private infrastructure that the city of Alamogordo and the county of Otero has made into this project. So this is a great partnership that helps create jobs; that helps support clean water research right here in the southwest desert; and that will also pilot new developments in cleaning up Brackish water all across the country, so we can increase our water supply, keep our agriculture economy lively and healthy, and help support growing communities all across desert environments just like ours.”
