Stansbury Secures $1,092,000 for Corrales Wastewater Upgrade and Groundwater Protection

Corrales will receive $1,092,000 in federal Community Project Funding, Rep. Melanie Stansbury announced March 2, 2026, to install wastewater treatment infrastructure intended to protect local groundwater and enable treated-water reuse. The announcement frames the award as a targeted investment to address long-standing reliance on septic systems in the Village of Corrales.

The project description on Rep. Stansbury’s office materials states: “Funding will help install a treatment facility and expand wastewater collection across the Village of Corrales to protect local groundwater from septic system contamination, conserve water resources by recycling treated wastewater, and supporting long-term sustainability.” Village officials and local advocates have repeatedly raised concerns that septic systems pose contamination risks to the aquifer Corrales residents depend on for drinking water.

The $1,092,000 figure reported March 2, 2026 follows an earlier submission by Stansbury on June 2, 2025 requesting $20,000,000 for a Village of Corrales wastewater treatment facility as part of a package of Community Project Funding requests. The June 2, 2025 press release lists 15 CPF requests totaling $158,450,000 submitted for FY2026 consideration. The appropriations process for those requests requires House Appropriations Committee consideration and passage in both chambers before funds are final; FY2026 begins Oct. 1.

Source material shows a discrepancy in local attribution that has not been reconciled in the public record: Corrales-focused coverage and Stansbury’s announcement identify a $1,092,000 award for Corrales wastewater infrastructure, while SandovalSignpost reporting by Kevin Hendricks attributes $1,092,000 to rehabilitation of the Town of Bernalillo’s aging wastewater treatment plant. The sources do not explicitly state whether the March 2026 $1,092,000 award is a partial funding of the earlier $20,000,000 request or whether the amounts represent separate line items; appropriations documentation or confirmation from congressional staff and municipal officials would be required to resolve that question.

The Corrales item was reported as part of a broader package of community appropriations for New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. Coverage of the package cites 14 Community Project appropriations that cleared Congress for NM-01, and Sandoval County-focused reporting lists other local awards including $1,015,000 for a Sandoval County Behavioral Health Clinic and a previously secured $1,500,000 for an animal shelter and clinic that broke ground in Bernalillo. Stansbury’s June 2, 2025 release states she has secured CPF funding for 37 projects since taking office and included other CPF requests such as a $4,000,000 drinking water pipelines request for the City of Santa Rosa.

Rep. Stansbury framed the CPF investments as a practical tool for the district: “These projects will deliver results for New Mexicans across the state,” she said, and earlier stated, “I came to Congress to support the needs of New Mexico using every tool available,” adding that “Community Project Funding is one of the most powerful tools we have.” Final project design, permitting, timelines and the exact allocation of appropriated dollars remain to be clarified by Rep. Stansbury’s office and municipal officials before construction or reuse of treated wastewater can begin.