In a state where every drop counts, New Mexico is reimagining water planning that puts communities first. The 2023 Water Planning Security Act empowers local leaders to tackle water challenges head-on, tapping into the wisdom New Mexicans have carried for generations.

New Mexico Water Technical Assistance Portal (WaterTAP) puts communities in the driver's seat. It helps them champion the projects, programs, and policies they need. Because the best water solutions don't come from the top down—they come from people who know their land, understand their challenges, and are ready to secure water.

WaterTAP supports the upcoming statewide regional water planning process by helping public water managers identify projects, programs, and policies to strengthen their systems and prepare for unexpected challenges. Water systems can pursue projects independently or highlight them through regional planning with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission's Main Stream New Mexico initiative.

The tool uses information from the Climate Change Resilience Assessment of Public Water Systems and Irrigated Agriculture in New Mexico report, combined with climate projections from Climate Change in New Mexico Over the Next 50 Years: Impacts on Water Resources, and water-system data from New Mexico Drinking Water Watch. Based on each system's unique details, WaterTAP suggests projects to build system resilience.

Projects, programs, and policies are organized into four categories: Water Rights, Capacity Building and Planning, Infrastructure, and Environmental Management. The tool guides users through selecting projects of interest and provides information to help turn plans into action. These resources offer a starting point—but communities know their water system best! After completing the tool, save and export information about priority projects to review and share with others and return as many times as needed.

The information provided on this website is intended to assist public water system operators and managers by consolidating and displaying data obtained from the New Mexico Environment Department Drinking Water Quality Bureau and other sources. The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission makes no representation regarding the accuracy of the data shown in this tool and cannot make corrections or additions to data obtained from outside sources.