Las Acequias de Placitas

May 8th

Dear members,
Due to all of the beautiful rain we've received the last few days, the ground is saturated and there will be no irrigation tomorrow Friday, May 9th.

Noe'

May 6th

Dear members,

The spring output has dropped down to an average of 12 gallons/minute.  This is excessively high usage and means our system is currently not sustainable. 

The system operator is beginning to supplement our domestic supply with water from Tanquecito springs.  As he switches this online, some households in the upper area may experience a temporary water shutdown as it transitions. 

This is a serious situation that requires that ALL members  practice good water conservation so we can avoid having to shut off the system to allow our tanks to replenish.  This has happened in the past. 

I have heard from several members that they have observed their neighbors watering their gardens with domestic water. 

 I remind you that this is not allowed.  

Please capture and use ONLY your grey water in your garden.  

Thank you for practicing good water conservation methods as we work together to avoid shutoffs.

Noe'

April 23rd
Dear members,
Apparently, the work to install the culvert that was supposed to happen today, resulting in Paseo de San Antonio being shut down, will happen tomorrow instead. 

Sorry if this has created inconvenience for you. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Again, the road will be closed at about 24 Paseo de San Antonio so you should use Camposanto to access above that address.

Thank you,

Noe'

April 22nd
Dear members,

Tomorrow, beginning about 8 am, Paseo de San Antonio will be closed to through traffic while a culvert is being placed.  This is happening at about 24 Paseo de San Antonio-please use Camposanto to access above 24 Paseo de San Antonio.

Thank you,

Noe'

April 19th

Dear members,

The 2025 LAdP Irrigation Schedule is now posted below in the LADP DOWNLOADABLE FILES section below on this homepage.

Thanks for your patience,

Noe'

April 18th

Dear irrigators,

The watering season will open on Monday April 21st.  Until the recovery rates of the ponds can be determined, each irrigator will be getting water every other week and for 1 hour only. 

For the week beginning on the 21st, the schedule will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The following week it will be Tuesday then Thursday.  

ALL WEEKEND IRRIGATORS HAVE BEEN MOVED TO NEW DAYS!  

I'll be issuing the 2025 schedule soon.  Please check it to confirm your irrigation day.   As we have the last few years, watering will again be top down.  The gates up at the ponds will be opened around 6:30 in the morning.  So those irrigators at the top of the run need to be ready to water for one hour then release it to the next irrigator down the line.  

Any pipes in the ditch will remain capped until it is your hour.  If you're collecting water during another person's day and time, you will forfeit your right to irrigate.  

This will probably be a dry summer.  We ALL need to conserve and share what water there is equally.  

Thanks,

Noe'

April 15th

Dear members,
Harvey is going to run water through the main ditches tomorrow starting at 8 o'clock to clean them after ditch day. 

Please do not take any of the water.  Do not open your gates. Make sure Harvey and his crew are not assaulted by your dogs or anything/anyone else.  

This is also a reminder that you should have removed or capped any pipes that you've placed in the ditches or else you risk losing your irrigation right. There will be inspections done to ensure that all pipes are removed or capped. 

Thank you,

Noe'

April 13th

Dear members,
It's that time again. The flyer for the upcoming Wood Chipper Day happening on Saturday April 26th can be found below at the bottom of this homepage in the LADP DOWNLOADABLE FILES section.

Noe'

April 12th
Dear members,
I'd like to acknowledge all those who showed up this morning, bright and early at 6:30 am on a Saturday morning, to clean our ditches. It was wonderful to see so many of our members come participate in the ancient tradition of ditch cleaning. 

By performing this service, they ensure we're able to irrigate and share whatever water we have available. On that note, I'd like to encourage extreme water conservation, as it is likely this summer will be very different from the last.  

Thank you again to those ditch cleaners!

Noe'

April 9th

Dear members,

Today, during ditch marking, it came to the attention of the majordomo that there are multiple irrigators along the main ditches who have placed PVC pipes into the ditch.  These pipes are collecting any time water flows past, which is not allowed. Irrigators should only obtain water during their allotted time. 

These pipes are not legal gates.  Those who have pipes in the ditch need to either remove them or ensure that they are capable of being capped.  They should ONLY be uncapped during the member’s assigned time.

If it is found that the member is collecting water other than that time that is allotted to them, the member risks losing their irrigation right. 

Please remedy these issues prior to the beginning of irrigation. 

Thank you,

Noe'

April 8th

Tomorrow morning starting at 9 am, Harvey and his crew will be out marking the ditches in preparation of Saturday's ditch cleaning.  It will likely take most of the day. 

Please make sure they're not accosted and that dogs/animals are contained.  Thank you.

Noe'

April 7th

Dear members,
Ditch Day is happening this Saturday, April 12th.  Everyone will meet up at Oso at 6:30 in the morning. 

Don't forget to wear boots and appropriate clothing. Bring your shovel and water.

Thank you for keeping the tradition alive.

Noe'

March 17th

Dear members, 

Finally, some good news! 

Our tanks have recovered and there will be no need to shut down the water system tonight.  Thank you to everyone for your conservation which allowed our reserves to recover.

Noe' 

March 16th

Dear members,
The leak repair is partially complete.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR FAUCETS ARE CLOSED! 

The water is in the process of being slowly turned back on.  But it's critical to avoid a sudden pressure surge .  As expected, our system took a huge hit and our reserves have been taxed.  In an effort to restore our tanks, there's going to be a total system shut down tonight, at 11 pm.  The domestic water will be turned back on again tomorrow morning at 4 am. 

This process will be repeated again tomorrow until we've restored our water tanks.  If your residence has sensitive plumbing, please make sure that you're protecting it. 

Again thanks for your patience.

Noe'

Dear Members,

There is NO TRAFFIC being allowed in or out of Paseo de San Antonio at the intersection of 165 by the Presbyterian Church, where the leak is being repaired.  So please use Camposanto to come into and out of Paseo de San Antonio today. 

A contractor is coming to repair the leak at 165 and the Presbyterian Church today.  The entire domestic system is going to be shut off at 11 am this morning (3/16/25)!  

Please plan accordingly as the water will be off until the leak is repaired and the system on its way to recovery. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AND INFORM ANYONE WHO IS NOT ON THIS EMAIL.

Apologies for the nconveniences caused and late notice as we deal with this crisis.

Thanks,

Noe'

March 15th 

Dear members,

The repair cap installed today failed to hold.  

So valves along Paseo de San Antonio at about Calle Los Unales have been "feathered down" in an attempt to provide some water to members below this point and down Pueblitos.  This will continue until the proper repair materials can be sourced. 

Since it is Saturday and after hours, it is expected that this situation (reduced water pressure and reduced water flow and the leak continuing on the road by the church) will remain in place until Monday morning (the 17th). 

We expect the ENTIRE SYSTEM to be shut off from 9-4 on Monday.  Please prepare accordingly.  We ask that you exercise extreme water conservation over the weekend, as our system will be strained by this.

Your patience is very much appreciated.

Please, if you have neighbors who do not use  this website, alert them to this emergency situation.
Thank you again,  

Noe'

Dear members,

The water leak at 165 by the Presbyterian church was more complicated than expected and a total system shut off was necessary.  

At this point, water service has been restored. 

Thank you again for your patience.

Noe'

Sorry to have to announce this, but temporarily Jacob and his crew have had to shut down the water for the entire system.

This is necessary in order to complete work on the leak.

As soon as I know more I'll let you know.

Thanks for your patience.

Noe'

March 14th

Dear members,
Apologies for the late notice.  

There will be a water shutoff from 9 until about 3 tomorrow (Saturday the 15th) to repair a leak.  The shutoff affects the members on Paseo de San Antonio from about Unales and down Pueblitos.  

Please alert your neighbors if they don't use this website. 

I will update as I learn more.  

Thank you,

Noe'

February 11th
Planning for Wildfire Emergencies and Evacuation Notification Series

Dear members,
The organizer of this series is looking for up to 4 volunteers to help with parking at the library on the evening of the meeting (2/25) from 6:30 to 7:15. 

Please contact Phillip Clark at phillip.clark1230@gmail.com if you're able to help. 

Thank you.

Noe'

February 2nd

Dear members,

Apologies for the late notification, but I just found out water meters will be read today.  Please make sure your gates are unlocked and the meter readers have access to your water meter.  If you cannot unlock your gate, please take a picture of your meter reader and send it to me at your earliest convenience.

Noe'

January 21st
Good morning.
Today I mailed out fourth quarter 2024 bills.  I encourage everyone to give the online bill paying a try.  It will significantly help us to keep costs down.  Please let me know by sending me your email and letting me know that you'd like to sign up for the service.

Thank you
Noe'

January 18th

Dear members,
Finally, LAdP has gotten "somewhat modern" regarding bill payments!  We can now accept ACH payments.  This requires that I email your invoice to you.  When you receive it, you'll find there is an option to pay your invoice online and you'll be prompted to input your bank's routing number and your account number.  While LAdP will be paying a 1% fee to use this service, it will be partially offset by postage, printer toner, paper and envelope savings.  Also, the amount of time spent processing the billing will be reduced.  I encourage everyone to give this a try.

If you want to use this service you must send me an email letting me know you want to receive your invoice online and include the following information:

NAME ON THE ACCOUNT

PHYSICAL ADDRESS OF THE ACCOUNT

ACCOUNT NUMBER (IF KNOWN)

I'm going to hold off sending the 4th quarter 2024 bills via USPS until Monday, January 20th, hoping I hear back from many our members.  Of course, bill payment via check using USPS will obviously remain an option.  

As always, thank you for your patience as we try to embrace new technology,

Noe'

January 5th

Dear members,

The announcement for the second fire and emergency meeting scheduled for February 25th at the library is available in the LADP DOWNLOADABLE FILES section of this homepage. 

This meeting will continue to deal with planning for wildfires and emergency evacuations that may be of interest to our membership. 

Noe'

January 2nd

Dear members,

The rescheduled general membership meeting is now slated for Friday January 10th at 6:30 pm at the Senior Community Center.  I hope to see you all there.

The agenda for this meeting can be found below in the LADP  DOWNLOADABLE FILES section on this homepage.
Happy New Year to all

Noe' 

December 12th

Dear members,
While walking our dog this Sunday morning we noticed that on Paseo de San Antonio near the Presbyterian church (where the big pothole used to be) water was bubbling up out of the metal plate in the road.  The system operator has been notified and he will check it out, call for utility spots, and generally address the issue.  

With the cold temperatures we've been experiencing please be cautious as that section of the road may be icy.

Noe'

December 6th

Dear members,
Starting about 2:00 pm the  domestic water should back in service.  Thank you for your patience as the cracked pipe (the second leak) was finally repaired today. 

Three cheers for Jacob and his crew!

Noe'

December 5th

Dear members,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news however the newly repaired leak is still leaking.  Tomorrow morning about 8:30 a.m. the entire system will again be shut off.  Tonight you may notice there is less water coming from your faucet with lower water pressure. The water is currently on and will be left on until 8:30 Friday morning, when it will again be turned off. 

Please spread the word to your neighbors who may not have internet access.

Thank you and apologies for the inconvenience.

Noe'

Dear members,

The domestic water is being  turned back on again after the leak at 165 near the post office was repaired.  

When turning the water back on after a shutdown, it must be opened up very slowly to allow air to be bled out.  Our system is currently filling slowly because it is a gravity fed system, and the lower sections of the village should already have water.  

If you have neighbors who aren't internet savvy please do me and them a favor and pass on the news whenever possible. 

Thank you for your patience.  

Noe'

December 4th
Dear members,
Tomorrow, beginning around 9 a.m., the domestic water leak that is on State Hwy 165 near the Post Office will be repaired.  Water will be turned off for those nearby members on 165 and all the way down the entirety of Camino de las Huertas.  

The repairs and shut off will last until about 1 p.m.  However I will keep you posted with updates as I learn more.

Thank you for your patience as we make the repairs. 

Noe'

December 2nd

Dear members,

The general membership meeting, originally scheduled for this Friday, has been postponed until early January.  I'll send out notification of the date of the rescheduled meeting.

Water meters will be read tomorrow December 3rd.  Please make sure that the readers have access to your meter.  In the last two months there's been an uptick in the number of properties who haven't provided access.  

Please unlock your gates.  If this isn't possible, then take a photo of your meter reading and send it to me at this email address: noecharbonneau@yahoo.com.  

Be sure to include your name and location. 

Finally, a domestic water leak on Highway 165 has been located.  Our system operator's been made aware of it and is spotting utilities in the area before any necessary  digging can be done. 

I'll send out an email when we know more about possible shutoffs required before the leak can be repaired. 

Thank you,

Noe'

November 24th

Dear Members,

There is an LAdP general meeting scheduled for 6:30 PM Friday December 6th at the Senior Center.  The Notice/Agenda for this meeting is posted below in the LADP DOWNLOADABLE FILES section at the bottom of this page.

Thanks,

Carolyn Kennedy

LAdP Board President

November 15th

Good morning members,
A serious shortage of domestic water has  occurred.  An electrical breaker tripped and opened a valve although the system readout showed that it was closed.   An automated valve up at Tanquecito has malfunctioned.   Jacob was able to close it manually and has called in an electrician in to work on it.  

Meanwhile the water levels in our tanks have dropped and we really need to conserve water until they recover.

Thank you
Noe'

October 26th 

Dear members,

There seems to be some confusion regarding the annual fee for the mayordomo's compensation.  This year, it is being billed as a separate line item and is included in the third quarter of 2024 billing.  According to the Bylaws of Las Acequias de Placitas, the compensation of the mayordomo is set at the annual meeting, which was held in December of last year.  The fee is assessed to every  household in the village, as outlined in Article VI Section 8 Compensation of Mayordomo. 
 
The fee determined at the December 2023 meeting for 2024 was $50 per household.  And for 2025 it's set to be increased to $65 per household.

The commissioners of Las Acequias de Placitas have been working hard to keep operating expenses down in spite of the ever increasing costs of goods and services over the last few years. 

 I hope this clarifies any questions or concerns you may have had.
Thank you,
Noe' Charbonneau

October 24th
Dear members,
Today I am dropping the 3rd quarter of 2024 water bills into the mail so you should receive them soon.  A big thank you to those members who pay their bill in full and in a timely manner.  

Several members have however allowed their account to fall into arrears.  If you are one of these members, please address your outstanding bill.  A steady income is necessary for Las Acequias de Placitas to function and maintain our system providing you with safe, reliable drinking and irrigation water. 

On a different note, a community emergency preparedness meeting will be held on November 14th that should be of interest to our members. The announcement can be read in the LADP DOWNLOADLE FILES section below, near the bottom of this page.

Concerned citizens of Placitas are hosting a briefing for Placitas community members on actions to prepare for and react to a declaration of an emergency in the Placitas area. It is scheduled for 7:00-8:00pm, November 14, at the Placitas Community Library . 

This briefing is envisioned to be the first of quarterly briefings by emergency agencies that will focus on how homeowners and residents can prepare to react to emergencies and evacuation notices.

The focus will be on how to prepare ahead of time to be ready to evacuate their homes on short notice and how to evacuate the area, given the limited egress options.  And alternatively, if evacuation is not required, how best to respond as individuals.

Noe' 

Monday June 24th

 Dear Members,
The current Consumer Confidence Report 203 for our drinking water is posted below for your information in the LADP DOWNLOADABLE FILES section.

Thank you

Noe'

Tuesday November 7th 2023

Good morning,
Yesterday our system operator cleaned the injector in the chlorinator that provides the chlorine used to sanitize our drinking water.  

This morning he tested the residual amounts along our system and has adjusted the amount of chlorine and frequency of the injections of chlorine.  This was necessary as the spring flows have diminished and the amount of water flowing through the system has decreased.  All of the sampling he performed this morning along our system had chlorine residual results well within the normal levels required for safe drinking water. 

Thank you

Noe'

Friday July 7, 2023

Good morning,
This month, our System Operator Jacob Maes will be assisting in the collection of five water samples within the village to be tested for Lead and Copper. These tests are performed every 3 years. 

The residences where the samples are collected are the same locations every time and have been designated by the state.  Jacob will be contacting the residents at these locations and providing them with a collection bottle and specific instructions for how the sample is to be obtained. 

Thank you for your cooperation in this important testing.

 Also for your information the  2022  Water Quality Report (the latest report) is posted below on the page in the LADP DOWNLOADABLE FILES Section.

 Noe'

Wednesday May 10, 2023  

Dear members,
Recently a Las Acequias de Placitas member made an anonymous complaint to the New Mexico Environmental Department regarding insufficient disinfection of our water.  

In response, NMED sent out a compliance officer to perform sampling at various sites around the village.  On April 27th, 2023 the compliance officer collected several water samples and tested for free chlorine, water pressure, and the presence of microbiological contamination. 

All sites sampled had measurable free chlorine residuals, water pressures at each site were 77 p.s.i. or greater, and no microbial contamination was detected.  Las Acequias de Placitas water passed all of the New Mexico Environmental Department requirements and it was determined our water is safe and properly disinfected.  The Bureau of Drinking Water will be following up with the member who made the anonymous complaint.

Our System Operator continually monitors our chlorine levels and doses our water as needed in an attempt to not over chlorinate our delicious mountain spring water. The current pump and flow rates make this challenging, but the System Operator has been vigilant in monitoring for free chlorine throughout the system and at the end of the line on Camino de los Pueblitos and adjusting accordingly. 

We can be assured that our water is clean and safe.

Las Acequias de Placitas