Santa Fe, New Mexico
Why We're Watching
Santa Fe has several sustainable measures underway, including a Residential Green Building Code, city-wide energy efficiency, and a Water Conservation Program.
City Highlights
Population: 69,961
Energy Code: 2006 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code
Code Administrator(s): Housing and Community Development Department, City of Santa Fe
Background
Santa Fe, meaning “holy faith” in Spanish, became the capital of the New Mexico province in 1610 and is the fourth largest city in the state. With a population of 69,961, the city has a thriving mixture of Native American, Spanish, and modern American cultures and holds the nation’s second largest arts market with a $1.6 billion annual arts economy. The city also scores as the highest state capital in the United States.
The City of Santa Fe is dedicated to becoming more energy efficient and utilizing renewable energy resources. The City adopted the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement in 2006 which sets a goal of reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Additionally, they have instituted a Sustainable Santa Fe Plan. Under this, the city addresses several subjects, including: green house gas inventory and reduction, green building codes, renewable energy, water conservation, solid waste reduction, and education.
Santa Fe in 2010
The year of 2010 marks the beginning of Santa Fe’s Water Conservation Credit Program, which administers water conservation credits created through conservation contracts or retrofit rebates at existing developed property within the city’s water service area where credits are used to offset new system demands of small development projects.
Since its purchase of the municipal water utility in 1995, water conservation has been a chief concern of the City Council, who have emphasized and effectively implemented a comprehensive and very aggressive water conservation and drought management program. The city joined forces with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 to become a WaterSense Partner, which is a partnership program that seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices. In 2003, Santa Fe evaluated their water demand finding their already strained supply would not meet current or projected demand. That same year, in an effort to lower peak demand, the city passed an ordinance stipulating that new demand must be offset by replacing old, high-flow toilets with low-flow toilets that have the capacity of 1.6 gallons or less. This was a very successful ordinance. After observing the resulting water savings, the City Council knew the toilet rebate program was only the beginning of Santa Fe’s water conservation initiatives. They later went on to create the Water Conservation Credit Program. BCAP will be monitoring the program and highlight milestone achievements.
A continuing program of the Housing and Community Development since July 1, 2009 is the Residential Green Building 
Code, where all new applications for single-family residential buildings in the City of Santa Fe must complete the residential green building checklist and submit it to the Housing and Community Development Department before building permits are approved. The six section Residential Green Building Code has been designed to be consistent with the State of New Mexico Green Building Code. The Housing and Community Development Department has codes underway for remodels and additions to existing single-family residences, commercial, and historic buildings and will be released for public comment in the coming months. BCAP will be monitoring the program implementation and enforcement and highlight milestone achievements.
Program Contacts
(Re: Residential Building Code)
Ms. Katherine Mortimer
Housing and Community Development
120 South Federal Place, Room 314
P.O. Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504
(505) 955-6608
kemortimer@ci.santa-fe.nm.us
(Re: Water Offset Program)
Mr. Dale Lyons
Water Division
801 W. San Mateo Road
Santa Fe, NM 87505
P.O. Box 909
Santa Fe, NM 87504
(505) 955-4204
dwlyons@ci.santa-fe.nm.us
More Information
City of Santa Fe – Green Building Code
Housing and Community Development Department
Sangre de Cristo Water Division
