It’s reasonable to say that solving Gallup’s water issues will determine the fate of the city. Currently, the person heading that task is Lance Allgood, executive director of Gallup Joint Utilities. Currently, like much of the state, Gallup depends on underground aquifers for water. Though, unlike many other communities, the city has no river as an alternative source. Allgood says that determining exactly how much water the current aquifers hold is no easy task. According to the best estimates he’s seen, the city will run into shortages during peak months sometime around 2014. That gives the town a bit of time, but not much. Allgood says that Gallup is tackling the problem with a four-pronged approach: Appropriating more ground water, reuse of effluent, managing the demand, and building a pipeline from the San Juan river.

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