Dona Ana County receives $3M for CRRUA tank cleaning under Project Jupiter benefits deal

Dona Ana County receives $3M for CRRUA tank cleaning under Project Jupiter benefits deal by Paulina Carr Tue, November 10, 2026 at 7:16 PM Updated Tue, November 10, 2026 at 7:24 PM 7 VIEW ALL PHOTOS Residents question Project Jupiter committee's commitment to community concerns (Credit: KFOX14/ CBS4) Comment on this story 1 Comment Share story Share topics: Dona Ana County Project Jupiter Water quality CRRUA Water tanks Sunland Park Community Benefits Agreement Arsenic DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — Dona Ana County is moving to address longstanding water quality concerns in the Camino Real Regional Water Utility Authority service area with a $3 million investment aimed at cleaning and refurbishing water tanks. On Tuesday, the county announced it is receiving $3 million to improve the cleaning and refurbishing of water tanks in the Camino Real Regional Water Utility Authority area to improve water quality. The funding comes from the Project Jupiter Community Benefits Agreement, an agreement between the county and the developers behind Project Jupiter, the data center being built in Santa Teresa. Stephen Lopez, the co-acting Dona Ana County manager, said the money will be used to remove large amounts of sediment that needs to be cleared out at three water tanks in CRRUA’s water service district, including Sunland Park. The funding decision comes after Dona Ana County and Sunland Park agreed last year to exit the joint utility known as CRRUA in order to become two separate utility systems. Antonio Rivera, a resident from Sunland Park, described his experience with water quality. "We can't trust CRRUA to give us the quality of water we deserve. We've always had hard water in this area since they constructed these houses and also, we've had issues of discolored water and smelly water," Rivera said. CRRUA has faced a long list of complaints from residents expressing ongoing struggles to access safe water, and a lawsuit was filed in November 2024 regarding high arsenic levels in the water. "We know there are a lot of concerns about water quality in the CRRUA district area; we hope this is the first step of many that will help not only address the issues that exist but also start to reinstate confidence in the customers," said Lopez. The $3 million approved will not bar Sunland Park from requesting additional funds from the $10 million provided by the Project Jupiter Community Benefits Agreement. Lopez also said county leaders plan to return in December to vote on the next course of action regarding the dissolution of CRRUA. Project completion timelines are also expected to be reviewed. RECOMMENDED: Project Jupiter claims $13B impact, rate credits and flood aid in Santa Teresa Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox NEWS IN PHOTOS: " Local " 7 NEW Dona Ana County receives $3M for CRRUA tank cleaning under Project Jupiter benefits deal 3 El Paso City Council approves $72.5 million plan to modernize international bridges 6 Enchanted Hills flooding condemns one home; El Paso Water plans drainage improvements 5 EPISD to start community meetings on potential bond after delaying decision to May 2027