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NM city, victim of government burn, now faces water shortage

Storrie Lake is seen Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, near Las Vegas, N.M. The clock is ticking as the city's water supply rapidly depletes following a fire and floods. A temporary treatment system is being installed here that should bring this water, also affected from the floods, up to drinking water standards. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) An employee at Charlie's Spic & Span Bakery & Café washes dishes Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Las Vegas, N.M. First a wildfire sparked by the federal government threatened the area, and now floodwaters choked with ash and charred debris threaten its drinking water. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A sever at Charlie's Spic & Span Bakery & Café carries plates to customers Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Las Vegas, N.M. First a wildfire sparked by the federal government threatened the area, and now floodwaters choked with ash and charred debris threaten its drinking water. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Bradner Reservoir, which supplies drinking water for the city of Las Vegas, is seen from the air Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, near Montezuma, N.M. The clock is ticking on the number of days of drinking water that remain. First a wildfire sparked by the federal government threatened the area, and now floodwaters choked with ash and charred debris threaten its drinking water. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Wet ash piles along the edge of the Gallinas River Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Montezuma, N.M. First a wildfire sparked by the federal government threatened the area, and now floodwaters choked with ash and charred debris threaten its drinking water. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) An excavator piles debris alongside the Gallinas River, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. First a wildfire sparked by the federal government threatened the area, and now floodwaters choked with ash and charred debris threaten its drinking water. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Liam Arnold uses a chainsaw to cut a fallen tree alongside the Gallinas River, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. First a wildfire sparked by the federal government threatened the area, and now floodwaters choked with ash and charred debris threaten its drinking water. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A city employee works at the water treatment plant Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas, N.M. Earlier this year the area already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A sign reading "climate crisis" sits on a resident's burned property Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. Earlier this year the area already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Water treatment plant employee Josh Scoggin holds up a water sample from the Gallinas River on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. Earlier this year the area already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Water treatment plant employee Josh Scoggin takes samples from the Gallinas River on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. Earlier this year the area already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Burned trees stand Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. Earlier this year the area already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) An excavator piles debris alongside the Gallinas River on Aug. 9, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. The city earlier this year already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Las Vegas city manager Leo Maestas stands at a diversion structure Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022, in Montezuma N.M. People here know how to live with water scarcity and have little ability to cut back further. "It is disheartening to our families and our children to not know that they may not have water in a month from now," said Leo Maestas, the city manager. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Burned trees are visible on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Gallinas, N.M. Earlier this year the area already endured the devastation of the state's largest fire in recorded history, caused by federal officials carrying out what was supposed to be a prescribed burn to lessen the wildfire danger. Now, those same charred lands under deluge from a powerful seasonal monsoon are channeling contaminated runoff into the city's drinking water supply. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)