- $12 million state grant will extend EPCOR’s water system to Curry County homes.
- Move follows state testing that found PFAS in nearly all local residents’ blood.
- Cannon Air Force Base identified as source of toxic PFAS plume.
- State remains in multiple lawsuits with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Monday, October 27, 2025 — New Mexico officials announced a $12 million plan to connect about 100 Curry County homes to a safe new water source after widespread PFAS contamination from Cannon Air Force Base was discovered. The funding, awarded to EPCOR, will extend its Clovis-area water system east of the base, offering voluntary connections to residents whose wells have been tainted by firefighting chemicals used on the military installation. Testing in the area revealed that 99.7 percent of participants had detectable levels of PFOS, a form of PFAS, with those closest to the base showing triple the exposure of other residents.
The state’s environment department called the new connection the most effective way to ensure access to water that meets health standards. Local lawmakers who helped secure the funds praised the project as a long-overdue step toward protecting community health. However, New Mexico’s legal battles with the U.S. Department of Defense over PFAS contamination continue on several fronts, including disputes over cleanup authority and allegations that the Air Force blocked inspectors from entering the base to conduct testing.
The following was written by Danielle Prokop for Source New Mexico
and is published under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
New Mexico announces new water source for Curry County residents with PFAS-contaminated wells
by Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
October 24, 2025
New Mexico environment officials announced Friday that approximately 100 homes in Curry County will have a new water source to lessen their exposure to toxic PFAS in their drinking wells from nearby Cannon Air Force Base.
The state environment department said it will be awarding a $12 million state legislative appropriation for the project to EPCOR, which runs water and wastewater services in Eastern New Mexico, and is a major utilities provider in the U.S. and Canada. The company operates more than 41,000 connections in Clovis, according to the state’s drinking water website.
The move comes in response to the state’s PFAS blood testing initiative in the area that found that 99.7% of the 628 participants had PFOS — the form of PFAS (per and poly fluoroalkyl substances) widely used in military firefighting foam — in their blood. The state’s report also found New Mexicans working or living closer to the PFAS-contaminated groundwater plume under Cannon had PFAS levels that were three times higher than residents not working or living near the plume.
Studies on PFAS’ health impacts remain ongoing, but exposure has thus far been linked to kidney and reproductive cancers, decreased fertility, fetal developmental delays, disruption of immune responses and liver functions in people.
The project will extend EPCOR’s existing water system east of the base to include members of Curry County. The connections will be voluntary, requiring households to opt-in, according to a news release on the project. In a statement, state Environment Secretary James Kenney said that connecting to EPCOR’s water lines would be “the best way for Curry County residents to receive drinking water that meets or exceeds all state and federal standards.”
In a joint statement, Republican lawmakers from the Clovis and Broadview areas said they were “excited” to see movement on the $12 million project they set funds aside for in the 2025 legislative session.
“PFAS contamination has impacted the health and wellbeing of our families near Cannon Air Force Base and finding real solutions is critical,” Minority Whip Sen. Pat Woods, Sen. Pat Boone, Rep. Martin Zamora, and Rep. Andrea Reeb said in a joint statement.
New Mexico remains embroiled in several lawsuits with the U.S. Department of Defense over PFAS contamination, and is part of multi-state litigation in South Carolina.
The state is also involved in separate litigation in the federal court system, after the U.S. Department of Defense sued the state’s environment department, claiming New Mexico overstepped its authority in mandating cleanup.
In yet another case filed this year, state officials alleged Cannon Air Force illegally barred state inspectors entry to the base to test for PFAS, violating a new state law. A Department of Defense’s request to move that case forward in federal court remains on hold pending a ruling on whether the case should be incorporated into the multi-state litigation in South Carolina.
Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Goldberg for questions: info@sourcenm.com.
