Groundwater remediation in New Mexico
| Location: | Española, New Mexico, US |
| Client: | New Mexico Environment Department |
| Value: | (Project) US$4 million |
| Scope: | Pilot testing, construction, operation, maintenance, monitoring |
| Date: | May 2005 – October 2008 |
| Contact: | Mike Schulz (mike.schulz@amec.com) Peter Guerra (peter.guerra@amec.com) |
In the city of Española, New Mexico, 250 million gallons of groundwater was contaminated when a local business released hazardous solvents into the soil. The resulting contamination forced the closure of two
municipal wells, which had supplied drinking water to the city and the neighbouring Santa Clara Pueblo, a Native American community.
We have been working with the State of New Mexico for 30 years, providing expertise on large-scale environmental and geotechnical projects. 
Peter Guerra
Senior Project Manager
The scale and location of the problem means that the concerns of many different stakeholders need to be addressed. These include the US Environmental Protection Agency, the State of New Mexico authorities, the city of Española and the Santa Clara Pueblo tribal government.
AMEC’s environmental services business has worked with the State of New Mexico for 30 years on large-scale environmental and geotechnical projects. We are acting as the prime contractor for all aspects for the remediation project to remove the solvents from the groundwater. 
This requires the construction and operation of a groundwater treatment system, and the testing and implementation of a range of bioremediation technologies, which will use bacteria to break down the contaminants into harmless products.
As a result of this project, millions of gallons of groundwater will be returned to constructive use, restoring the primary water supply of the citizens of Española and the Santa Clara Pueblo.