Utilities

Late and Reconnect Fee Notice for Utilities

Effective August 25, 2015, the Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners and the Carlsbad City Council approved increasing the Late and Reconnect Fees as follows: Late fee will increase from $10.00 to $25.00. This amount will be charged on any utility bill that is not paid by the end of the month following the invoice date. Example: Invoice dated August 31, 2015, must be paid by September 30, 2015, to avoid the late fee. Reconnect fee will increase from $10.00 to $50.00. This amount will be charged on any utility account that has been submitted to the Utilities Department for termination of service due to non-payment. If an account has been submitted to the Utilities Department for termination of service due to non-payment, the $25 late fee, the $50 reconnect fee, the delinquent bill, and the current bill will have to be paid in full before service will be restored.

City of Carlsbad Cashier’s Office

For questions regarding your water, sewer, or garbage bill, please contact the cashier’s office at (575) 887-1191 or cashier@cityofcarlsbadnm.com.

The Cashier’s office in city hall is dedicated to providing the public with many services. The Cashier’s office is the customer service point for water, sewer and garbage services. Applications for these services need to be completed in the office. In addition, a picture ID of any persons registered on the account and a deposit are needed to complete the application process. Deposits can be paid with cash, check, money order or credit card.

New construction, home or business, will require a new water service meter. Customers will be given an estimate depending on the size of meter required. Approval from the Water Supervisor will also be necessary before the paperwork can be completed and work can begin. Fees for these services are paid for in the cashier’s office.

Payments

Payments for water/sewer/trash accounts are also taken in this office. We accept check, cash, money order, or credit card. We also accept phone payments by credit card. Credit card information can also be written on the water bill stub and mailed in. Customers also have the option to have their water bill drafted from their checking or savings account. Payments can also be made online from this website. The forms can be picked up at the Cashier’s office in city hall. For customers convenience, payments can be placed in either of our drop boxes. Both drop boxes are located at City Hall. One is located in the north parking lot on the left wall before going into the alleyway and the second is located inside the building next to the cashiers office door. Please do not place cash inside the drop boxes.

Utility bills are prepared and mailed at the end of each month. Bills are due upon receipt and are considered delinquent (past due) 21 days from the invoice date. Accounts are subject to termination of service if the current charges are not paid on, or before the last business day of the month following the invoice date. Accounts subject to termination will be required to pay the past due balance and all applicable late and reconnect fees before service will be restored.

Ambulance payments are also taken in the cashier’s office as long as a statement is provided. Unfortunately, we do not have access to the customer’s bill and will not be able to answer any questions concerning an ambulance bill.

Double Eagle Water

The Double Eagle Water System is a water system operated by the City of Carlsbad in the Loco Hills area that provides non-treated water for livestock, governmental domestic, commercial domestic, and industrial purposes. Rates charged for Double Eagle Water services are as follows:

Double Eagle Fees

Request Double Eagle Water service

Please allow at least 3 business days for the processing of requests for Double Eagle Water service.

Upon approval of request for Double Eagle Water service, please complete the Application for Double Eagle Water Service available below. Bring the printed and signed application along with the appropriate deposit, connection fee, and tap fee to 101 N. Halagueno and present to the Water Billing Department. Application will be reviewed and processed. 

Instructions for Completing Application for Double Eagle Water Service

  1. Location of Requested Service – Enter the City of Carlsbad Tap Name for the requested service location
  2. Section, Township, Range – Enter the Section, Township, and Range where the City of Carlsbad Tap is located
  3. County – Enter the County name in which the City of Carlsbad Tap is located
  4. Lat/Long – Enter the Latitude and Longitude in NAD 27 format where the City of Carlsbad Tap is located
  5. Name – Enter the name of the person or business that will be responsible for payment of services rendered
  6. Driver’s License No. – Enter the Driver’s License Number and issuing state for the person who will be signing the Application
  7. Phone No. – Enter the telephone number for the Name in line 5
  8. Mobile No. – Enter the mobile number for the contact person for the Name in line 5
  9. Current Address – Enter complete physical address for the Name in line 5.
  10. Mailing Address – Enter complete mailing address for the Name in line 5.
  11. Category of Use – Check the appropriate box associated with the intended use of the water service
  12. If Industrial Use, Purpose and Location – Enter the purpose of and location where industrial water service will be used
  13. Estimated Monthly Usage – Enter of maximum number of gallons requested for a 30 day period
  14. Method of Payment – Check the appropriate box associated with the method of payment. If paying by Credit Card, enter the expiration date of the credit card in the box next to the Credit Card check box. Enter the Credit Card number in the field just below the Exp. Date.
  15. Other Accounts with the City of Carlsbad – Check the appropriate box. If you have current service or have had past service with the City of Carlsbad, enter the address in the field to the right of the check box. If you have had multiple services, you must list at least one.
  16. Tap Fee – Enter the estimated amount quoted by the Double Eagle Superintendent. This box only applies when requesting service where a current tap is not in existence.
  17. Date – Enter the current date.
  18. Print the Application
  19. Sign the Application
  20. Bring the Application and payment for the total amount indicated on the completed Application to City Hall, 101 N. Halagueno, Carlsbad, NM and present to the Water Billing Department

Environmental Services

The Environmental Services Department has a variety of tasks to perform. The main purpose is to keep the City in compliance with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules and regulations. Environmental Assessments for various funding sources for City projects, such as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), are conducted by this department. This department works hand in hand with Code Enforcement and Animal Control during investigations and/or residential complaints (foul odors, weeds, etc.). We render assistance and/or aide to Solid Waste, Wastewater and Water Departments to various problems and solutions.

2025 Annual Consumer Report on the Quality of Your Drinking Water

Household Hazardous Waste

Environmental Services is involved with community events as in Household Hazardous Waste Day and America Recycles Day. Household Hazardous Waste Day is Carlsbad’s way of observing Earth Day. Earth Day is an annual observance, held on April 22, to increase public awareness of environmental problems. Household Hazardous Waste, if thrown in the regular trash, could potentially harm the solid waste collectors and contaminate our environment. This pollution can adversely affect rivers, lakes, wildlife and our ability to treat wastewater. It can also create a fire or poisoning danger in the home when allowed to accumulate.

Carlsbad area residents are encouraged to bring household wastes, such as fertilizers, paint thinner, gasoline, oil, household cleaning products, paint, pesticides, anti-freeze, batteries and fluorescent light bulbs.

Household Hazardous Waste Day

  • Location is to be determined

HHWD Disposal Form

Environmental Services Laboratory

A variety of laboratory tests are conducted to ensure compliance with applicable State and Federal laws, rules and regulations. These include tests conducted to monitor and identify kinds and amounts of solids, bacteria, nutrients, various chemicals and related organic/inorganic materials in effluent and sludge at various stages of treatment, including final discharge. These tests are continuously performed to ensure that National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit guidelines issued by the EPA are met. These guidelines are developed in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Water Act.

We are also a New Mexico Department of Health (Scientific Laboratory Division) certified laboratory for micro-biological testing of drinking water. We run a series of tests to monitor drinking water compliance with State and Federal Regulations.

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Contact Us

Location
45 Telltale Lane
Carlsbad, NM 88220

Richard Aguilar
(575) 628-8176
rlaguilar@cityofcarlsbadnm.com

Solid Waste Department

City of Carlsbad Solid Waste Department

The Solid Waste Department provides essential garbage and trash services to the residents and commercial establishments of Carlsbad. Our mission is to ensure timely collection and proper, environmentally responsible disposal of all waste, including services for household hazardous materials.

Contact Us

Residential Collection Services

Weekly Pickup Schedule

Residential customers receive curbside trash collection twice per week.

  • Locations NORTH of Church Street: Mondays & Thursdays
  • Locations SOUTH of Church Street: Tuesdays & Fridays
Yard & Bulk Waste (Claw Service)

The City offers a collection program for yard waste and other acceptable bulky items. For a list of acceptable items, see the "Curbside Collection Rules" section below.

  • This service runs Monday through Friday.
  • Please allow a maximum of two (2) working days for pickup after your request has been received.
  • Important: Please separate tree limbs from all other trash.
Special Assistance
  • Roll-out Disability Assistance: We offer assistance for individuals who need help with their roll-out containers.
  • Container Replacement: Information on our Refuse Container Replacement Program is available.

Please call us at (575) 885-0042 for information on these programs.
Solid Waste Fees

Solid Waste Rules Flyer Page 1 Solid Waste Rules Flyer Page 2

Commercial Collection Services

Commercial establishments and other non-residential customers are picked up a minimum of twice per week. Service charges vary depending on the container size and the frequency of pickups.

Please call our office at (575) 885-0042 for a quote.

Drop-Off Facilities

City of Carlsbad Convenience Station (Residential Use Only)

This station is available free of charge for City residents.

  • Location: 302 E. Plaza St., Carlsbad, NM 88220
  • Hours: Monday – Sunday, 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Convenience Station Rules
  • YES: Pick-up sized loads only.
  • NO: Trailers are not permitted.
  • NO: Contractors or commercial waste.
  • NO: Chemicals or electronics.
  • NO: Infectious or hazardous waste.
  • NO: Liquid waste.
  • NO: Dead animals.
  • NO: Ashes or hot coals.

Sandpoint Landfill (Maintained by Eddy County)

Curbside Collection Rules & Guidelines

Grappler Truck

To ensure the safety of our crews and efficient service, all residents must adhere to the following rules (in accordance with Chapter 44 of the City of Carlsbad Code of Ordinances). Failure to follow these rules may result in your trash not being collected.

Collection Prep
  • Placement: Place trash at the curb next to your property (not on a neighbor's property) and ready for collection.
  • Containment: Weeds, grass clippings, and leaves must be bagged or boxed. Loose materials will not be picked up.
  • Tree Limbs: Tree trunks and branches must be cut into lengths not exceeding four feet and must be properly bundled.
  • Separation: Please separate tree limbs from other types of trash.
  • Clearance: When placing your trash roll-out bin, please have it 5 ft from any obstructions.
Prohibited Items in Curbside Bins

The following items will not be collected from your roll-out or dumpster. These items must be hauled to the landfill or a proper recycling center by the property owner or a contractor.

  • NO Construction Debris: Concrete, rocks, dirt, gravel, carpet, or roofing materials.
  • NO Heavy/Bulky Items: Car body parts, tires, or large appliances.
FIRE HAZARD: NO HOT ASHES

Do not put hot ashes, cinders, smoldering coals, or greasy/oily materials in your roll-out. This is a severe fire hazard and has caused fires in our trucks.

Safety Procedure: Place ashes in a metal bucket, cover them with water, and let them sit for two (2) days before bagging and placing them in your roll-out.

Forms & Documents

Thank you for working with us to keep Carlsbad clean and beautiful!

Compost Facility

The Carlsbad Compost Program started in 1994 as a pilot program with the intention to increase the life span of the landfill. The process involves dewatered biosolids combined with other organic materials such as wood mulch produced by the Solid Waste Department which create a moist, porous mixture. Special mixing and turning equipment is used to optimize natural aerobic microbial processes which convert the mixture into a premium quality soil builder. 135 degrees F heat produced by naturally occurring microbes pasteurizes the material, killing unwanted bacteria and viruses. After six (6) weeks of composting and curing, the compost is screened to remove large particles, yielding a pleasing, odor free product ready for use. Test results demonstrate that the product meets the most stringent USEPA limits for heavy metals content, permitting its unrestricted use for any horticultural purpose.

Contact Us

Location
45 Blackfoot Road
Carlsbad, NM 88220

Matthew Warner
(575) 887-5412
wastewater@cityofcarlsbadnm.com

Wastewater and Sewer Department

Our mission is to effectively provide a high quality sewage collection and treatment service to our customers in a professional, economical and reliable manner, and to protect public health and the environment by adhering to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit as issued by the USEPA.

The Carlsbad Sewage Collections System is owned, operated, and under direct supervision by the City of Carlsbad Water Department. The sewage system is gravity-fed until it reaches 1 of 27 sewage lift stations. It is then pumped up and allowed to gravity feed to the next station. All of the twelve stations feed one primary lift station, which pumps all the collected sewage to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

The Carlsbad Wastewater Treatment Plant processes over 2.5 million gallons of sewage each day. The plant is designed to handle as much as 6.0 million gallons of sewage per day. The plant is an activated sludge process, equipped with primary and secondary clarification, and with no chlorination and  no dichlorination systems for the effluent water before it is discharged into the Pecos River. The solids handling system consists of anaerobic digesters and paved sludge drying beds. Pathogen reduction is achieved via the composting process. The plant produces Class A sludge which, combined with wood mulch, grass clippings or leaves, produces a premium quality soil amendment product which is then utilized at City parks and golf courses. The compost facility is located at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Wastewater and Sewer Department Documents & Forms

Fees 

Reporting Sewer Problems

If a customer believes that a problem (possible stoppage, odor) may exist with the city sewer mainline, they may call and report the possible problem at (575) 887-5412, or after hours or weekends at (575) 885-2111.

Line Locates

If any excavation is to take place, the person doing the excavation is required by law to call “NM One Call” at (800) 321-2537 or ‘811’. The City of Carlsbad has maps which show the locations of the City’s sewer mainlines only, there are currently no maps which show the location of the customer’s sewer lines.

Compost Facility

The Carlsbad Compost Program started in 1994 as a pilot program. Our program has increased steadily. It was started to increase the life span of the landfill by using tree branches, grass, leaves, paper and other carbon products and adding them to the biosolids (sludge) produced at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

At the compost facility, dewatered biosolids are combined with other organic materials such as wood mulch produced by the Solid Waste Department to create a moist, porous mixture. Special mixing and turning equipment is used to optimize natural aerobic microbial processes which convert the mixture into a premium quality soil builder. 135 degrees F heat produced by naturally occurring microbes pasteurizes the material, killing unwanted bacteria and viruses. After 6 weeks of composting and curing, the compost is screened to remove large particles, yielding a pleasing, odor free product ready for use. Test results demonstrate that the product meets the most stringent USEPA limits for heavy metals content, permitting its unrestricted use for any horticultural purpose.

Contact Us

Matt Warner
(575) 887-5412
wastewater@cityofcarlsbadnm.com

Location
45 Tell Tale Lane
Carlsbad, NM 88220

Water Department

About

The Carlsbad Municipal Water System is owned and operated by the City of Carlsbad. The system’s source of water is groundwater and ninety-eight percent (98%) of the water comes from the Sheep Draw Well Field (Capitan Reef) located seven (7) miles Southwest of Carlsbad in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains. Two percent (2%) of the water comes from the City owned and operated Double Eagle Water System located near Maljamar, New Mexico (Ogallala formation).

Over the past thirty-two years (32), the Carlsbad Municipal Water System has effectively planned for and built the facilities necessary to provide our customers with an adequate and safe water supply.

For bill questions, call the Water Department Cashier Office at (575) 887-1191, or send an email to cashier@cityofcarlsbadnm.com.

UCMR-5 Public Notification

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that once every five years the EPA issue a list of unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems.

The fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR-5) was published on December 27, 2021. UCMR 5 requires sample collection for 30 chemical contaminants between 2023 and 2025 using analytical methods developed by the EPA and consensus organizations. This action provides the agency and other interested parties with scientifically valid data on the national occurrence of these contaminants in drinking water. Consistent with the EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, UCMR 5 will provide new data that will improve the agency’s understanding of the frequency that 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lithium are found in the nation’s drinking water systems, and at what levels. The monitoring data on PFAS and lithium will help the EPA make determinations about future regulations and other actions to protect public health under SDWA. The data will also ensure science-based decision-making, help the agency better understand whether these contaminants in drinking water disproportionally impact communities with environmental justice concerns, and allow the EPA, states, Tribes, and water systems to target solutions.

In accordance with UCMR-5, the City of Carlsbad has conducted sampling for the required contaminants.

For questions related to the UCMR-5 sampling, please contact the Water Department by calling (575) 885-6313 or sending an email to water@cityofcarlsbadnm.com. 

Forms and Documents

Water Department Fees

Examples in Which a Report Is Required

Reporting Leaks
If any leaks are noticed.

Meter Reading
The water meters are read each month. Some areas have a new type of meter which is read by a computer device, much similar to a wand, whereas other areas are continually being updated to match, remain manually read at this time.

Line Locates
If any excavation is to take place, the person doing the excavation is required by law to call “NM One Call” for line location services.

Tampering with City Utilities
 If any suspicious activity involving theft or possible damage to any part of the water or sewer system.

Emergencies
If a customer has a broken water line on their side of the water meter and needs the water turned off to make necessary repairs. For after-hours water and sewer emergencies please contact the Police Department by calling (575) 885-2111

Meter Boxes
A meter box, most of which have a locking device, is installed over each meter to keep it protected and prevent any unauthorized persons from accessing it. As time permits, all meter boxes will receive locking lids. It is very important to report any box that has a missing, damaged or otherwise improperly installed lid.

Contact Us

Water/ Sewer/ Trash

(575) 887-1191

Email

cashier@cityofcarlsbadnm.com

Additional Services

Gas

New Mexico Gas Co.
(888) 664-2726

Electric

Xcel Energy
(800) 895-4999

Related Information

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