REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO DIRECT AN INTERIM LEGISLATIVE WATER COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL TO CLEAN PRODUCED WATER IN NEW MEXICO'S ENERGY DEVELOPMENT FIELDS FOR RECYCLING AS A BENEFICIAL USE.

WHEREAS, the energy development industry generates about three thousand acre feet of "produced water" annually from the Dagger Draw-Indian basin; and

WHEREAS, the level of hydrocarbon contamination found in produced water does not present expensive technological challenges for its cleanup; and

WHEREAS, energy developers currently reinject produced water into the salt zone, rendering it effectively unusable; and

WHEREAS, the quality of some produced water prior to reinjection has less salt than the Pecos river; and

WHEREAS, experiments in processing produced water for reuse near Iraan, Texas in the Yates-Marathon field has resulted in water clean enough for use in boiler operations; and

WHEREAS, demands for New Mexico water and the increasing scarcity of suitable water for beneficial uses compels us to avoid waste and optimize the efficiency of our exploitation of water;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico legislative council be requested to direct an interim legislative water committee to study the potential for treating produced water to be put to beneficial use and report its findings and recommendations for legislation to the legislature by December 1, 1999; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the New Mexico legislative council.