Las Cruces residents are receiving delayed public notices about a 2025 drinking water monitoring violation, but city officials said the water is safe to drink and the notices stem from a paperwork-related monitoring violation, not contamination.

Background of the Issue

The issue began after a routine water sample collected outside a home tested positive for total coliform bacteria in November 2025. State and federal regulations required Las Cruces Utilities to collect follow-up source water samples to confirm the city’s groundwater remained safe.

Those follow-up samples were collected on time. However, the violation occurred because utility staff accidentally mislabeled the paperwork associated with the samples, Mandy Leatherwood, communications director for the City of Las Cruces, told the Las Cruces Sun-News.

“There was never any confirmed contamination of the drinking water. Additional testing found the city’s source water was free of bacteria, and the water supplied to customers has remained safe to drink,” Leatherwood said.

Notice Distribution and City Response

Residents are receiving the notices now because the city first had to coordinate the wording with the New Mexico Environment Department. Since the violation did not pose an immediate threat to public health, state regulations allowed the notice to be sent within one year of the Nov. 25, 2025, compliance letter, Leatherwood said.

More than 31,148 customers served by the Las Cruces Municipal Water System received the notice. The city also updated its procedures to help prevent similar violations. Staff members have been reminded to properly disinfect sampling sites, carefully review all paperwork and verify that documentation is completed correctly before it is submitted, Leatherwood said.

Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.