The City of Las Vegas, New Mexico, will begin construction on a new water treatment plant in summer 2026 as part of a long-term effort to modernize its drinking water system.
The project will replace aging infrastructure and expand treatment capacity. The new facility will initially treat up to 3.56 million gallons per day, compared with the city’s existing 2.5-million-gallon-per-day system. The design allows future expansion to 5 million gallons per day to accommodate population growth. The plant will serve approximately 14,880 residents.
The facility will include upgraded pretreatment processes to improve removal of sediment and natural debris, along with granular activated carbon filtration to address taste, odor, and discoloration issues. The general site location has been selected, and design work is underway.
The city is developing the project in partnership with the New Mexico Environment Department. Construction funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Claims Office and state funding provided in response to damage caused by the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and subsequent flooding.
The city will finalize the design in late spring 2026. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late summer 2026. During construction, the city will install new granular activated carbon filters at the existing treatment plant to maintain water quality and reliability.