PFAS found in 43 water wells in Cieneguilla and La Cienega communities, new tests show

A total of 43 wells in the Cieneguilla and La Cienega communities in Santa Fe County showed ‘forever chemical’ contamination in recent tests, Santa Fe County announced on Monday.

The well testing, which the New Mexico Environment Department undertook, follows a data-sharing agreement the state and county made earlier this year, which “gives opportunities for interaction between our scientists so they can learn from each other in real time,” NMED Special Project Coordinator Andrew Hautzinger said in a statement accompanying the news release announcing the test results. “This gives us the awareness of who is doing what, why they are doing it, and how we can learn together as we move forward.”

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, or PFAS, were first found in the groundwater near the Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility by the Santa Fe Regional Airport in 2023. When the county subsequently tested wells in nearby La Cienega and La Cieneguilla, several wells were found to be contaminated.

Exposure through contaminated water and soil, as well as through the plants and animals, cause PFAS to build up in the human body. While still being studied, PFAS exposure is linked to increased cancer risks, fertility issues, low birth weights or fetal development issues and hormonal imbalances.

In the most recent round of testing, the state environment department found that of the 116 recently sampled wells in La Cieneguilla and La Cienega combined, 26 wells in Cieneguilla tested positive for PFAS contamination, as did 17 wells in La Cienega. 

With the aquifer below La Cieneguilla contaminated with PFAS, the news release said, a new public water supply for community members is being prospected by La Cieneguilla Water Company, a not-for-profit company that secured federal funds to assess potential options.  

NMED also provided free water filters for those affected by the contamination last November, a month after the department announced that approximately 100 homes in Curry County would be receiving a new water source due to PFAS water contamination from nearby Cannon Air Force Base. 

Santa Fe County Utilities Division Director Travis Soderquist said in a statement Monday the new data will help inform the county’s next steps. 

“We are trying to get a grasp on the extent and concentration of the contamination and how far it has spread throughout the community,” he said. “We want to know if the contamination is moving, if it’s stationary, or if there’s a continuous introduction of contaminants into the groundwater.”