Steam & Excursion > "Village of Chama is out of water"

Village of Chama is out of water - Albuquerque Journal (abqjournal.com)Village of Chama is out of water - Albuquerque Journal (abqjournal.com)
  
"...The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has pushed back opening until July because of wildfire concerns..."
 
ABQJournal update, don't know if the link works for non-subs:
   
https://abqjournal-nm.newsmemory.com?selDate=20220621&goTo=A001&artid=3



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/22 11:53 by Lurch_in_ABQ.

Does the railroad rely on municipal sources for water or do they have their own wells dug to supply their water tank in Chama? 
Certainly wouldn't look good putting 8,000 gallons into a tender when the locals can't even have a shower or flush a toilet. I feel for the C&TS and the loss of ridership and revenue.

Where does the city of Chama get their water and how do they distribute it?

From the article...

"With rains complicating the leak detection efforts"

Does this make sense to anybody?  Is there enough rain to make the ground muddy so they can't find a leak?

I also don't understand "pushing back opening to July because of fire concerns."  It seems unlikely there would be less fire concern in July than now.  From my limited time in New Mexico, the monsoons don't come until September.

 

The official monsoon season in the U.S. Southwest is July and August.  Forecasters say monsoon rains may arrive early, this week.  

OK, I just thought of another question; Why did it take their Water Department so long to realize they were "running out of water"?

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, I just thought of another question; Why did it
> take their Water Department so long to realize
> they were "running out of water"?

Reading the article leads one to believe the problem developed over the last couple days.

sf1010 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Does this make sense to anybody?  Is there enough
> rain to make the ground muddy so they can't find a
> leak?

If there is a leak in an underground pipe, and the whole area is wet, and there is no water running in the pipe for a leak detector equipment to pickup the leak, yes it is extremely difficult to find without actually exposing all of the pipe.
 

This is the notice I received this morning.

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff

---

OK,,,,,,,again I'll ask; where does the town get their water from? Wells? Nearby reservoir? Nearby river?

jmhemmer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The official monsoon season in the U.S. Southwest
> is July and August.  Forecasters say monsoon
> rains may arrive early, this week.  

the monsoon flow started saturday if not friday

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK,,,,,,,again I'll ask; where does the town get
> their water from? Wells? Nearby reservoir? Nearby
> river?

The Chama River.

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jmhemmer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The official monsoon season in the U.S.
> Southwest
> > is July and August.  Forecasters say monsoon
> > rains may arrive early, this week.  
>
> the monsoon flow started saturday if not friday

Since Friday we have had a little over 2 inches of rain.

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff

Wacky-roger1942 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > OK,,,,,,,again I'll ask; where does the town
> get
> > their water from? Wells? Nearby reservoir?
> Nearby
> > river?
>
> The Chama River.

Thanks. Now,,,,,,,,is the Chama River dry, i.e. no more water? Does Chama have a city water tank, and what is its capacity? Did the city water tank "run dry"?

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wacky-roger1942 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > HotWater Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > OK,,,,,,,again I'll ask; where does the town
> > get
> > > their water from? Wells? Nearby reservoir?
> > Nearby
> > > river?
> >
> > The Chama River.
>
> Thanks. Now,,,,,,,,is the Chama River dry, i.e. no
> more water? Does Chama have a city water tank, and
> what is its capacity? Did the city water tank "run
> dry"?

No the river is not dry.  I am not going to bother any of the city folks with a bunch of questions since they are all busy with trying to get us water.

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff

Wacky-roger1942 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wacky-roger1942 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > HotWater Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > OK,,,,,,,again I'll ask; where does the
> town
> > > get
> > > > their water from? Wells? Nearby reservoir?
> > > Nearby
> > > > river?
> > >
> > > The Chama River.
> >
> > Thanks. Now,,,,,,,,is the Chama River dry, i.e.
> no
> > more water? Does Chama have a city water tank,
> and
> > what is its capacity? Did the city water tank
> "run
> > dry"?
>
> No the river is not dry.  I am not going to
> bother any of the city folks with a bunch of
> questions since they are all busy with trying to
> get us water.

Sounds logical, but in the long run, as a resident and tax payer, wouldn't you think they would owe the residents some sort of explanation?

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wacky-roger1942 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > HotWater Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Wacky-roger1942 Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > HotWater Wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > >
> > > > -----
> > > > > OK,,,,,,,again I'll ask; where does the
> > town
> > > > get
> > > > > their water from? Wells? Nearby
> reservoir?
> > > > Nearby
> > > > > river?
> > > >
> > > > The Chama River.
> > >
> > > Thanks. Now,,,,,,,,is the Chama River dry,
> i.e.
> > no
> > > more water? Does Chama have a city water
> tank,
> > and
> > > what is its capacity? Did the city water tank
> > "run
> > > dry"?
> >
> > No the river is not dry.  I am not going to
> > bother any of the city folks with a bunch of
> > questions since they are all busy with trying
> to
> > get us water.
>
> Sounds logical, but in the long run, as a resident
> and tax payer, wouldn't you think they would owe
> the residents some sort of explanation?

Yes and they will do that when they have better control of the situation.



 

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff

They have a pipe issue, in fact they probably have several, it's been going on for a while. But consider the size of
Chama and their budget, things get put off until they can't be anymore.

Out 

The town of Empire had a water shut off due to a broken pipe earlier this spring happens with this aging infrastructure I'm sure they'll try to find it as soon as possible probably with a boil order when restored

Sounds like poor city management, lack of maintenance at the water plant,
known leaks allowed to continue, $800,000 funds available but not used for 
repairs.  I feel for the residents who suffer from the mis-management.