Court Rules Water Wells Okay to Drill

摘要

The Albuquerque Daily Journal reported in early November that New Mexico's law giving homeowners the right to drill their own water well is legal and does not unfairly harm other water users in violation of the state constitution, according to the New Mexico Court of Appeals. The court's decision overruled a lower court decision that the domestic well law violated the state constitution because of harm such well drilling could have on nearby water rights holders. The Appeals Court ruled that the state engineer has sufficient administrative authority to manage water resources in a way that pre-existing water rights are protected.