Publications Details

Design Consideration for Solar Powered Wastewater Treatment Facility for Agriculture and Potable Usage on Acoma Pueblo Reservation

Arguello, Veronique M.

Environmental stewardship has long been a guiding principle among indigenous peoples. Acoma Pueblo, located approximately 45 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, shares these values. They are exploring how to incorporate these values into future development projects. As such, Acoma recently created a wastewater treatment facility to provide irrigation water to nearby crops. Treatment facilities like this further sustainable practices and benefit the community but may draw power from the grid. This report looks at design considerations for possible photovoltaic utilization at the site to offset current power and monetary costs. Lessons learned from a larger, municipal wastewater treatment center will be applied with special considerations for Acoma Pueblo's values and unique wastewater treatment facility configuration.