The major objective of the project “Water Treatment for Small Public Supplies” was the demonstration of technology development for desalination being successfully applied to bring domestic water supplies into compliance with the National Drinking Water standards. To that end, a mobile unit containing the necessary pretreatment and post-treatment equipment to support reverse osmosis and electrodialysis as primary units was assembled. This equipment is described in WRRI Report #095, June, 1978, “Water Treatment for Small Public Supplies – Project Description Report.”

During the late fall of 1977 and all of 1978 the mobile demonstration unit was operating in eight New Mexico communities: Cuba, (pop. 1200), Carrizozo (pop. 1250), La Luz (pop. 750), San Jon (pop. 300), San Ysidro (pop. 250), Bluewater (pop. 2500), Moriarty (pop. 1750), and Hagerman (pop. 750). This report details the operating experience and the performance data on the two systems – reverse osmosis and electrodialysis. The appropriate standards of the National Drinking Water Act were met in all communities.

Project No. T-0009-NMEX