Updated 2026-09-16
County water report

Otero County Water Quality: 2 Cities Ranked by the Records

Otero County, New Mexico: 2 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.

Across the county's systems

Highest result for each contaminant

One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.

LithiumDetected in 2 systems10 µg/L EPA health reference level (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest54 µg/L
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest7.4 ng/L
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest2 µg/L
28 PFAS tested, none detected in any systemShow

Tested in these 2 systems: ALAMOGORDO DOMESTIC WATER SYSTEM, LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY

  • 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
  • 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
  • 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
  • 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
  • Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
  • N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
  • N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
  • Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
  • Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
  • Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
  • Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
  • Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)
  • Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
  • Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
2 cities

Cities ranked by the records

Showing 2 of 2 cities · scores are system-level, not tap tests

Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.

PFAS in Otero County1 of 2 cities report a regulated PFAS above the federal limit
4.0 ng/L federal MCL · PFOS, ng/LPFAS in New Mexico
Lead

0of 2 cities above the 15 µg/L action level

Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.

Lead in New Mexico
Who supplies the county

Largest water systems

  1. AlamogordoALAMOGORDO DOMESTIC WATER SYSTEM · NM3513319
    35,301 served
  2. ChaparralLAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY · NM3529207
    14,619 served
Questions

Frequently asked

How does Otero County tap water compare across cities?

PurityMap ranks 2 cities in Otero County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Chaparral's main water system: LAKE SECTION WATER COMPANY · PWSID NM3529207 · Purity Score 96 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.

How many Otero County cities have PFAS above the federal limit?

1 city of 2 had at least one regulated PFAS (PFOA, PFOS or PFHxS) measured above the 2024 federal limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Alamogordo (PFOA 7.4 ng/L). PFAS were detected at any level in 1.

Is there lead in Otero County tap water?

Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 1 of 2 Otero County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.