Water Main Break Disrupts Estancia Service; Boil Water Advisory Remains in Effect

A water main break in Estancia disrupted water service to town residents on Monday, June 1, 2026, after a worker conducting cleanup operations at the site of the recently burned Tillery Building cracked a main while excavating in an alley without first calling 811, the national dig-safe hotline required by law before any excavation. The responsible party did not report the damage after it occurred. As a result, the town lost approximately 15,000 gallons of water before the break was identified and addressed.

"Given our current water situation, this is a significant loss," Mayor Pro Tem Albert Lovato wrote in a statement posted to the Town of Estancia's Facebook page Monday evening.

The Estancia Public Works Department completed repairs and restored water service to all customers by approximately 9:00 PM MDT on Monday. A precautionary boil water advisory issued by the town remains in effect as of Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The town anticipates resolving the advisory within the week, pending the results of bacterial testing.

What Happened

Town Clerk and Treasurer Veronica Navarrette confirmed the sequence of events in an interview with the Mountainair Dispatch on Tuesday morning. According to Navarrette, Town Hall phones began ringing shortly after the damage occurred. Public Works staff responded immediately, contacted 811 to file a damage report, verified utility markings, and began repairs.

According to the town's official boil water advisory, the Public Works Department completed repairs as of 9:00 PM MDT and restored water service to all customers. The advisory states that no further repairs are needed at this time, but that bacterial testing is being performed to ensure the system is free of microbial contamination.

Lovato's statement identified the Public Works crew by name: Edwin Bencomo, Manuel, and Martin. Lovato also recognized community member Guy Bernal and Estancia Trustee Martin Lucero, who voluntarily stopped to assist the Public Works team during the emergency.

"I was present during the repair and witnessed firsthand the expertise and dedication of our Public Works crew," Lovato wrote. "They are true masters of their craft, and our community is fortunate to have them serving Estancia."

Navarrette also praised two Town Hall staff members — Laura Acosta, who handles finance, and Diana Acosta, who manages utilities — for remaining at their posts through the emergency despite being told they could leave, assisting residents, coordinating response efforts, and helping distribute water to those in need.

"I have probably never seen two young ladies work so professionally," Navarrette said.

Boil Water Advisory: What Residents Need to Know

The Town of Estancia issued a precautionary boil water advisory on June 2, 2026, citing the risk that low or no water pressure during an outage may increase the likelihood of microbial contamination within the distribution system. The advisory states that no contamination has been detected to date.

Residents are advised to bring all water to a full boil and let it boil for one minute before drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, feeding infants, brushing teeth, preparing drinks, making ice, or providing drinking water for pets.

The advisory notes that fecal coliforms and E. coli — bacteria whose presence can indicate contamination by human or animal waste — may pose a particular health risk for infants, young children, and people with compromised immune systems. Residents experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, or headaches that persist are encouraged to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should consult their health care providers.

The town's State Water System ID is NM3524030. Additional information on boil water precautions is available from the New Mexico Environment Department at https://www.env.nm.gov/drinking_water/boil-water-advisories/ (please do not rely on the Active Boil Water Advisories List table, as it is not up-to-date).

Residents with questions should contact:

• Edwin Bencomo, Public Works: 505-705-0034 or ebencomo@townofestancia.com
• Veronica Navarrette, Town Clerk and Treasurer: 505-384-2708 or vnavarrette@estancianm.gov

Residents are asked to contact Town Hall or Public Works directly rather than relying on social media for information or updates.

County Provided Support; No Emergency Declaration Issued

Torrance County Emergency Manager Samantha O'Dell confirmed in an email to the Mountainair Dispatch on Tuesday that the county had been in contact with the Town of Estancia and had taken steps to mitigate the impact of the water disruption on election day.

"Bottled water was supplied to polling locations to ensure that there were not any disruptions in today's elections," O'Dell wrote. "The Town of Estancia has been in contact with myself, as well as the County Manager."

O'Dell added that she was not aware of any discussions regarding an emergency declaration at the time of her response.

The question of whether to pursue an emergency declaration is expected to be taken up at a special session of the Estancia Board of Trustees scheduled for 6:15 PM MDT on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at Estancia Town Hall, 513 Williams Ave, Estancia.

Navarrette said the town's water levels rose somewhat following the break as residents reduced usage, and that cooler temperatures and rainfall on Tuesday were expected to help replenish the town's water storage lagoon. The town planned to conduct water level tests at the end of Tuesday and again on Wednesday morning before making a final determination on whether to pursue an emergency declaration.

"If we have not really gotten up outside of our critical stage, then we are going to probably talk to Jordan Barela about declaring the emergency," Navarrette said, referring to Torrance County Manager J. Jordan Barela.

Mayor Riley Absent

Mayor Runnel Riley, whose last contact with Navarrette was the delivery of his leave-of-absence notice and notice of tort claim on April 14, 2026, did not respond to the emergency. Lovato, serving as Mayor Pro Tem, took charge of the town's response. According to Navarrette, Lovato arrived on scene Monday night as Public Works staff were working through competing instructions from multiple agencies regarding damage reports, water sampling, and contamination testing. Lovato personally made calls to identify the appropriate contacts and coordinate next steps.

"He said, 'Who do I talk to? Give me the person who I need to get this fixed,'" Navarrette said.

Aging Infrastructure and Long-Term Planning

The water main break has renewed attention on the aging state of Estancia's water infrastructure. Navarrette acknowledged that the town's wells are old and that the current system is not configured to accept water delivered by outside tanker — a limitation that constrained the county's ability to provide direct water supply assistance during the emergency.

The town has a long-term plan to drill new wells, and a drilling contract has been awarded to assess how deep new wells would need to go before reaching water. That process is not expected to begin for several weeks, pending resolution of an administrative process with a grant-making body. The overall cost of addressing Estancia's water infrastructure needs has not yet been determined.

Lovato encouraged residents to conserve water in the meantime.

"Every gallon saved helps ensure the sustainability of our water system until the new well project is completed," Lovato wrote.

Town Ordinance Requires Conservation Measures

The water emergency comes as Estancia's own water conservation ordinance — Ordinance No. 2010-01, adopted February 16, 2010, and effective March 2, 2010 — remains on the books. The ordinance prohibits water waste within municipal limits, including by government facilities, and requires spray irrigation to be conducted only between 6:00 PM MDT and 10:00 AM MDT from April 1 through September 30. Properties with even-numbered addresses may water on even-numbered dates; properties with odd-numbered addresses may water on odd-numbered dates.

The ordinance further provides that additional scheduling restrictions may be applied during declared drought or emergency events — a provision that could become relevant if the Board of Trustees votes Thursday to pursue a formal emergency declaration.

Town Clerk Navarrette noted that she located the ordinance in the town's records as part of her ongoing effort to catalog and digitize Estancia's existing ordinances and resolutions, work that had not been systematically maintained prior to her arrival.

Enforcement of the ordinance is assigned jointly to the Public Works Department and the Police Department.

What Residents Should Do Now

• Do not drink, cook with, brush teeth with, or make ice with tap water without boiling it first. Bring water to a full boil for one minute before use.
• The boil water advisory is precautionary. No contamination has been detected. The town anticipates resolving the advisory within the week.
• The Board of Trustees will hold a special session at 6:15 PM MDT on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at Estancia Town Hall, 513 Williams Ave, Estancia, to discuss a potential emergency declaration.
• Contact Town Hall at 505-384-2708 or Public Works at 505-705-0034 with questions. Do not rely on social media for official updates.