Regulators seek court takeover of small Aztec-area water utility

New Mexico utility regulators asked a San Juan County judge on January 13 to place Rosa Joint Ventures under third party control, citing alleged failure to comply with prior orders and roughly $275,000 in unpaid state fines. The filing at the center of the request, dated January 8, says Rosa’s management did not relinquish control to the Sambrito Mutual Domestic Waters Consumer Association as ordered in 2021 after three years of hearings.

Rosa Joint Ventures serves roughly 230 people near Aztec, according to the state’s drinking water database. Regulators say their repeated attempts to secure a transfer of operations have failed, prompting the Public Regulation Commission to seek a receivership so a neutral party can ensure continued delivery. In a news release, Commissioner Patrick O’Connell said the PRC needs the court’s help to ensure the utility will deliver services in a "safe and reliable" manner. “The Commission is committed to ensuring the health of our communities and the utilities that serve them,” O’Connell said. “Every order we issue is aimed at serving the public interest and Rosa Joint Ventures has shown no interest in complying with our orders.”

Rosa Joint Ventures could not be reached for comment on the filing. Calls to numbers listed for the utility played an automated message stating the number was disconnected, and an emailed request for comment was still pending Monday afternoon.

The PRC regulates all privately owned utilities in New Mexico, including about 20 mostly small water systems. The request for receivership in San Juan County echoes similar interventions elsewhere in the state, including a move to seek state control in Timberon last September. Regulators and state environmental officials have been wrestling with long-standing issues of reliability, compliance, and contamination; the New Mexico Environment Department sued a separate troubled utility last year over reliability and arsenic levels. The PRC has also convened a task force to evaluate the financial and operational health of small water utilities and has flagged the need for additional funding to shore up aging water infrastructure statewide.

For residents in Sambrito, and the wider Aztec area, the immediate concern is continuity of safe water service and clear communication about any operational changes. A court-ordered receiver could stabilize operations and bring the utility into compliance, but transitions can also bring short-term uncertainty for customers dependent on small systems.

Our two cents? Keep a modest emergency supply of water, watch for official notices from the PRC and San Juan County, and attend or follow public hearings if you can. Local voices matter when decisions about the future of a neighborhood water system are on the line.