Water Quality: Alto, NM
8 water systems • 5,400 people served
Multiple Health ViolationsWater Quality Summary
Alto is served by 8 public water systems with a combined service population of 5,400 people, and has 403 EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violations on record. Critically, 39 of those are health-based violations, meaning one or more contaminants were detected above EPA-established safe levels — a serious public health concern. Alto's violation count is 139% above the national average for New Mexico. Contaminants associated with violations include Chlorine Dioxide, Gross Alpha, Stage 2 DBP.
Contaminants Found
Can cause anemia in infants and young children; may cause nervous system effects at high levels.
Common source: Water treatment disinfectant used to control taste, odor, and microorganisms
EPA limit: 0.8 mg/L
Alpha-emitting radioactive particles increase cancer risk, particularly from bone and other internal cancers.
Common source: Natural uranium and radium in geological formations
EPA limit: 15 pCi/L (excluding radon and uranium)
Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that increase cancer risk and may cause adverse reproductive outcomes.
Common source: Chlorine disinfection reacting with natural organic matter in source water
EPA limit: TTHM: 0.080 mg/L; HAA5: 0.060 mg/L
Water Systems Serving Alto
| System Name | PWSID | Source | Population | Violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALTO LAKES WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT | NM3558514 | Groundwater | 2,870 | 6 |
| CDS RAINMAKERS UTIL LLC RANCHO RUIDOSO | NM3521014 | Groundwater | 839 | 24 |
| EILEEN ACRES | NM3564019 | Groundwater | 462 | 46 |
| SUN VALLEY WATER AND SANITATION DISTRICT | NM3533814 | Groundwater | 443 | 42 |
| ALTO MOUNTAIN VILLAGE | NM3530414 | Groundwater | 300 | 95 |
| ENCHANTED FOREST WATER MDWCA | NM3563814 | Groundwater | 261 | 104 |
| ALTO NORTH WATER COOP | NM3513414 | Groundwater | 127 | 19 |
| HIGH SIERRA ESTATES WATER ASSN | NM3580514 | Groundwater | 98 | 67 |
Concerned About Your Water?
A home water filter can remove common contaminants. NSF-certified filters are tested against EPA standards.
Consider a reverse osmosis system for comprehensive filtration or a carbon filter for basic improvement.
Other Cities in New Mexico
Data Sources
Drinking water violation data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Data includes all recorded violations for active community water systems.