Albuquerque is getting ready for a 276 million dollar construction project that will stretch from the north valley to the southeast heights,to the west side and the northeast heights. The construction is part of Albuquerque's plan to cut depletion of the aquifer, the city's underground water supply.

A diversion dam south of the Alameda bridge will divert water out of the Rio Grande. The water will be pumped to reserviors throughout the city, and from there to homes and businesses. The project makes use of water from the San Juan-Chamaproject, which diverts water from southern Colorado into the Rio Grande basin.

Albuquerque serves about 485,000 people and pumps about 35 billion gallons of water a year. The project is expected to greatly reduce, but not eliminate ground water pumping.

The project will be funded through water rate hikes put in place over the last seven years. The rate hikes have raised the typical bill about 9 dollars a month. River water should be flowing through customers' taps by the end of 2007.