Wastewater Department

The Town of Bernalillo Wastewater Treatment Facility employs 3 full time certified Wastewater Operators, 1 Certified Laboratory Technician, and 2 Operators In Training. Staff is responsible for the Treatment, Maintenance, Sludge Disposal and Regulatory reporting, as well as keeping up with the infrastructure associated with collections.  In 2021, the Town of Bernalillo Wastewater Department contracted with Molzen Corbin to develop a Wastewater Treatment Plant Master Plan that will help the Town to plan for the future.

The Towns treatment facility is currently designed to treat 1.2 MGD of wastewater.  The treated water is required to meet Regulatory Permit guidelines before it leaves our facility.

It is vitally important to be aware of what is released into the sewer systems as a residential customer. Although we can remove a good portion of the solids there are many substances that cannot be removed easily such as:

Fats, Rags, Oils and Grease (F.R.O.G): When Fats, Oils and Grease are poured down drains it quickly clogs up pipes, even when you run hot water ! It is best to drain into a container and let cool before throwing it into your trash receptacle or placed in a sealed bag to be hauled to the Landfill, Shop Rags, baby wipes and hygiene products and the likes, do not break down in the water and cause troublesome blockages in the pretreatment process.

Drugs and medications: when flushed into the system they dissolve into the water. When they are flushed down the toilet or sink, most of these chemicals pass through treatment plants or septic systems and can end up in nearby rivers or lakes.