Debby Ulinski Potter is a research assistant professor in both the Biology Department and the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department. She was awarded the 2003 Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women, the 2001 Chief’s Award and the 2005 Bernalillo County Outstanding Citizen Award. Her primary research interests include ecosystem ecology, climate change and air and water resources.

Daily Lobo: Please explain how Albuquerque gets its water and how that has changed recently.

Debby Ulinski Potter: Albuquerque, for its residential use, has primarily been using groundwater from the aquifer, but now we are in a transition period where we are trying to switch to the primary use of surface water. We were a unique city in the United States in the fact that we only used groundwater. Once we discovered, through the United States Geological Survey reports, that we were not recharging the groundwater as fast as we were using it, then we had to go to another source for our usage.

DL: When did Albuquerque first discover we were overusing the aquifer?

DP: 1985 is when we got the reports from the United States Geological Survey, which is when we realized our use was no longer sustainable. We didn’t have a connection between the groundwater and surface water like we thought we did, and recharge rates were very low. Now, we are basically borrowing water from the San Juan-Chama River. Instead of using what we have from the Rio Grande basin, we are starting to use water from the Colorado River basin.

DL: Where is most of New Mexico’s water used?

DP: In the state of New Mexico 80 percent of our water is used agriculturally. In the city most of our water is used residentially. We are unique, again, in the respect that we use most of our city water for residential landscaping. We had a hard transition from thinking we had a plentiful water supply, which was virtually limitless, to now seeing the need to look at more sustainable options.

DL: What kind of options should we be looking into?

DP: The city has started programs to conserve water, such as making specific watering times so we can avoid losses to evaporation or overwatering. We have incentives to convert to low-flow toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. These are things that 30 years ago were not a concern, but today they’re at the forefront. In the future, we can anticipate an increase in population growth and the effects of climate change.

DL: How can we expect climate change to affect our water usage?

DP: Predictions are very drastic. The timing of how we receive our water will change, shifting from the winter snowpack that we depend on to getting more rainfall rather than snowfall. This will make the release of water earlier in the year, and we will have more rapid flushes of water release. We will have extremes rather than our normal cycle.

DL: What is the difference between the water we get from snowfall and the water we get from rainfall?
DP: The water we get from snowfall is held in the mountains, so the release is slower and more of it will filter into the ground to replenish our aquifer, whereas the water we get from rain goes to runoff and rivers. So, it is a matter of timing the release rates and when we need it most as consumers throughout the year.

DL: What is the city’s goal for the transitioning of water sources?

DP: The goal is to gradually go from using 100 percent groundwater to using 90 percent surface water. We are starting now by using 25 percent surface water and gradually increasing. Ultimately, we will be drawing most of our water from outside the aquifer. By using mostly surface water, we will be allowing the aquifer to recharge and will not continually be drawing it down. Right now, we have drawn it down almost 160 feet. It is going to take us a long time to recharge and get back to a sustainable amount of groundwater. Then the question is, how sustainable is it to be drawing from surface water?