Jal, NM Residents Raise Concerns On T-Bar Well Field Project

And any mention of a threat to losing water is bound to raise some concern.    That's currently the case for residents of Jal, New Mexico, where city officials are worried that an upcoming pipeline project from Midland will hurt their water supply. "Without water, we don't have a community," said Curtis Schrader, city manager of Jal. He's worried about the proposed 70 mile pipeline to the Pecos Alluvium Aquifer in the T-Bar well field along the Texas -and New Mexico border. "The big concern is that project proposes to pump 10 million gallons a day," he said. "And we just don't feel like that aquifer will sustain 10 million gallons a day of pumping for the 100 years a geologist from midland estimates." Jal uses five wells at the north end of that aquifer and the city is concerned the more than 40 wells to be drilled will cut down on their water. "These are too many wells too close to our well field," Schrader said...more