It also encourages voluntary compliance with Bernalillo County's NO BURN nights and is considering automobile emission control regulations. Water has become a volatile issue in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. A study released a few years ago contradicted the long-held perception that Albuquerque and its surrounding communities sit atop a limitless aquifer. People have become more conscious of water usage and are taking conservation measures. In 1995, after several years' consideration, Rio Rancho made the controversial purchase of its water utility from a private corporation.
Agriculture is the state's chief water consumer.
The company recycles much of its water and returns it to the Rio Grande after it is purified. This practice presently helps the people downstream from Rio Rancho, but Intel is also funding a study to determine ways to inject the purified water back into the aquifer. The biggest problem facing the community today is traffic congestion caused by travel between Rio Rancho and Albuquerque. City agencies have been working with Albuquerque and state and federal agencies to overcome the traffic problems, but no long-term solutions have been reached. Without a long history or an entrenched bureaucracy, Rio Rancho has been progressive in establishing a flood control authority, curbside recycling, and youth programs.