An application from Aquifer Science LLC has been filed with the Office of the State Engineer requesting to drill wells 4,000 feet or less and divert up to 1,500 acre-feet of water to the proposed subdivision.

Until a few months ago, New Mexico Water Service Co., which serves Sandia Knolls and outlying areas, had made an obligation to serve Campbell Ranch. That plan was fought by residents of Sandia Knolls and others and ultimately abandoned in favor of an application before the Office of the State Engineer by Aquifer Science LLC out of Nevada to divert up to 1,500 acre feet of water to the proposed subdivision located off N.M. 14 north of Sandia Knolls.

Robert Gately, the president of Campbell, explained that his company changed its plans to go after its own water rather than fight residents of Sandia Knolls and rack up additional infrastructure costs with NMWSC.

Gately pointed out that the system, which was bought a few years ago from a bankrupt company, has had significant improvements.

Those improvements are ongoing, so the opposition from Sandia Knolls may be costly in the end, he said.

"Our agreement with NMWSC provided that additional Campbell Ranch service area take a big share of all this required capital investment and ongoing costs," he said. "Clearly these same Knolls representatives had no appreciation for our efforts to help with their system improvements."

Instead the company directed its resources to developing water rights with the water it expects to find deep below the surface of its own property, he said.

"That way, there is no argument from the Knolls representatives about taking their system's water," he said. Gately said it will likely take time to resolve the issue of water rights, which is before the Office of the State Engineer, adding that the OSE has a history of being thorough and allowing the public an opportunity to comment.

"Sometimes applications take longer because applicants misjudge all the costs involved in getting all science, studies and tests it takes to answer the questions thoroughly and accurately," he said. "Top experts in any field aren't cheap."

The number of protesters, a few hundred of them, may also slow the process, according to Jess Ward, State Engineer's Office District 1 manager in Albuquerque. The list includes residents in the surrounding areas and the village of Tijeras, an attorney from Bernalillo County, several residents, conservation groups and — possibly most surprisingly — New Mexico Water Service Co.

When asked about the protest, Paul Risso said that adding his company's name to the list was a good way to keep informed as things progressed. That means, if Campbell Ranch's water needs don't affect his utility, that may be as far as the protest goes. Similarly, Tijeras Village Clerk/Treasurer Daniel Abram said the village was advised to add its name to the protesters and it also may not object when the case is heard.