In July 2026, the Eldorado Area Water and Sanitation District pumped 3,247,000 gallons from Wells 7, 8, 14, 15, 17 and 18. It also took delivery of 14,742,000 gallons from Santa Fe County, according to the district's September 2026 Water Notes. That works out to roughly 82 percent county water for the month. For a buyer, that matters less as a supply story than as the reason behind a rate schedule that charges a household's last gallons up to eight times what it charges for the first. Two Eldorado homes at similar list prices can carry very different monthly water costs, and the difference comes from what grows outside.
A July bill shows what a January bill can't
EAWSD bills a flat monthly base charge per meter, plus a volumetric charge in six tiers. For 2026 the in-district base rate is $32.98. Water costs $13.73 per 1,000 gallons for the first 3,000 gallons, and the price climbs at each step until use above 30,000 gallons is billed at $110.38 per 1,000.
From May through August, a second mechanism applies. Residential customers who use more than 10,000 gallons in a month pay a conservation surcharge equal to 50 percent of the applicable tier rate on everything above 10,000 gallons. Customers who stay under that line pay no surcharge. The district set up the surcharge in 2013 to push down peak summer demand.
The district's own consumption figures put the typical house near the bottom of the schedule. Its September 2022 Water Utility Master Plan reports average single-family use of about 3,900 gallons per connection per month across 2016 to 2020, and about 4,200 gallons in 2020. The plan estimates metered use at 65 gallons per person per day.
Run the published 2026 schedule against a few monthly volumes and the shape of the system shows up:
| Monthly use | Non-summer bill, 2026 rates | Same use, May–August with surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| 4,000 gallons | $91.33 | $91.33 |
| 5,000 gallons | $108.49 | $108.49 |
| 10,000 gallons | $221.77 | $221.77 |
| 15,000 gallons | $432.02 | $537.15 |
| 20,000 gallons | $642.27 | $852.52 |
These figures are worked from the rate schedule and cover only the base and volumetric charges. A 10,000-gallon month costs about $222. Adding 5,000 more gallons in winter almost doubles that bill, and in July the same extra 5,000 gallons costs about $315. The house uses the cheap tiers and the landscape uses the expensive ones. A seller's January statement reflects mostly indoor use. A July statement reflects whatever has been planted.
Summer use is also capped by rule. Mandatory restrictions ran from May 1 through August 31, 2026, limiting landscape watering to set weekly days, before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Washing vehicles or outdoor hard surfaces and filling pools or outdoor water features were prohibited. An existing pool or water feature on an Eldorado property should be read in that light.
Why the steps are this steep
The rate schedule follows from the supply history. According to the district's FAQ, EAWSD relied entirely on groundwater until 2023, and groundwater levels had been falling for more than two decades. The September 2022 master plan projected that demand would exceed 100 percent of existing groundwater capacity within a few years. In February 2023 the board unanimously approved a Joint Water Delivery agreement with Santa Fe County, and the pipeline connecting county water to EAWSD and to Cañoncito was finished soon after.
The FAQ still says county deliveries are roughly 20 percent of demand, and that the agreement allows increases up to roughly 60 percent as needed. More recent operating reports show a much larger county share. At the board's June 17, 2026 meeting, General Manager Maya Clifford reported Well 9 offline and Well 17 under repair, with about 80 percent of supply coming from the county. The July production figures above bear out that split. May was closer to even, with 7.893 million gallons pumped and 7.904 million gallons delivered by the county, per the July 2026 newsletter. The mix moves from month to month as wells go in and out of service. Those are operating snapshots, not a fixed ratio.
The county supplement is treated surface water from the Buckman Direct Diversion, which the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County own and operate jointly. The district is also working to restore its own wells. In February 2026 it approved an engineering-services agreement with Molzen Corbin to start design on a supplemental well at the Well 9 site. No later update on that design was available as of early October.
Pipes are the other large cost. The FAQ says the oldest parts of the system are nearing 50 years old. It funds improvements through water service and property tax revenue, supplemented by grants and low-interest loans, and its 2025–2029 rate study anticipates $1.25 million to $1.5 million a year in borrowing for capital projects. The largest current project is the Monte Alto Road replacement, which the February 2026 newsletter estimated at $5 million. It is funded through a Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund loan, a Water Trust Board grant and a Capital Development Program Fund grant. The district's construction update dated August 28, 2026 reported all 8,500 feet of Phase I pipe installed by pipe bursting, with 20 of 51 service connections finished and substantial completion forecast for the end of September. More than 6,500 feet of Phase II pipe had gone in along Avenida Torreon by horizontal directional drilling, with completion forecast by the end of November. Phase II ends at the Torreon Booster Pump Station, which the district calls its most important booster station. As of this writing, the district had not posted confirmation that either phase is complete.
The schedule is already published through 2029
Most utility rate increases arrive as surprises. Eldorado's do not. The board adopted a four-year schedule by Resolution 24-06-01 on June 19, 2024, and the 2026 step took effect with February bills for January use. Every future year is already set out in the 2025–2029 rate schedule:
| Charge | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-district base rate, monthly | $32.98 | $34.29 | $35.32 | $36.38 |
| First 3,000 gallons, per 1,000 | $13.73 | $14.21 | $14.71 | $15.32 |
| 10,001–20,000 gallons, per 1,000 | $42.05 | $43.52 | $45.04 | $46.92 |
| Over 30,000 gallons, per 1,000 | $110.38 | $114.24 | $118.23 | $123.16 |
The yearly steps are modest and predictable, so the tier structure itself remains the larger factor. Through 2029, a household that stays near the district's average use will see small annual changes, and one that regularly reaches the fourth tier and above will keep paying several times the low-tier rate on that water. The out-of-district base rate is $78.23 in 2026 and rises to $84.41 by 2029.
Where the schedule doesn't reach
The tiers don't apply to every property with an Eldorado address. The 2022 master plan estimates that about 8 percent of residents in the service area use privately owned or shared community wells instead of district service. The plan refers to a general "welled area" and does not name subdivisions. Two homes on the same road can therefore have entirely different water arrangements, and the listing won't always say which one applies.
Vacant land is a separate calculation. The district's latest published fee summary, dated July 25, 2024, lists per-home fees of $6,250 for water rights, $1,500 for water source and $2,882 for system service, a total of $10,632. Additional line items:
- An estimated $1,200 for a complete residential meter installation
- A service-lateral deposit of $4,000 for unpaved ground with no road crossing, $7,500 for paved with no crossing, $8,000 for an unpaved road crossing, or $15,000 for a paved crossing
- A $130 billing security deposit
All together, that comes to roughly $16,000 to $27,000 before any mains, hydrants or valves needed to serve the lot, which the summary assigns to the new customer. Deposits are not necessarily final charges. These are the most recent figures the district has published, so treat them as a starting estimate for 2026 rather than a confirmed number. The system-service fee is halved for private-well conversions, and the district may waive it if the owner takes the well out of service or transfers an acceptable well to EAWSD.
Lot splits and new development go through the district. Santa Fe County will not approve a development, or even a lot split, in the service area without a letter from EAWSD saying it is willing and able to serve it.
Water is one of two utility questions that come up at an Eldorado closing. The other is wastewater, covered in our post on Eldorado's septic evaluation timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Does the county water change what comes out of the tap? The district's 2025 water-quality report lists both groundwater and treated Buckman Direct Diversion water as sources, and reports no drinking-water-standard violations. Clifford said, "The water delivered to our customers meets all the state and federal drinking water standards."
What about PFAS? Testing in 2025 detected PFHxA, PFPeA and PFOA at a sampling point associated with Wells 17 and 18, and further analysis traced them to Well 17. Mixed water from Wells 17 and 18 showed no detectable compounds. The district says its 2026 Water Utility Master Plan, still in development, is meant to include permanent PFAS treatment.
Where are rate and project decisions made? The EAWSD board meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the public conference room at 2 N. Chamisa Drive. Each meeting includes public comment, and Zoom access is available on request.
If you're comparing Eldorado properties and want to know what a specific lot's water arrangement means for monthly costs or hookup costs, Ayden Gramm Real Estate can review the utility records and the published schedule with you before you make an offer. Schedule a Consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
