Magdalena, NM, Runs Out Of Water

Surprised it's happening there, but it's inevitable given how bad things are:

Last month locals noticed their tap water was a little cloudy, so they called Steve Bailey, the local utility manager. When he went to inspect the city's sole underground well, he was dumbfounded.

"Looks like what has happened is our aquifer disappeared on us," Bailey said. "We were at a certain depth a year ago...and that depth is 15 feet lower than what it was."

Residents only had a 24 hour notice before they ran out of water.

Magdalena isn't the driest place in New Mexico, by a long shot. Maybe the aquifer isn't the greatest quality - too close to the mountains. Every place has its downside. If they are having problems there, it's bound to be worse elsewhere. A wake-up call to start installing rain-water collection systems!