Students and instructors from the Dona Ana Community College (DACC) Water Technology Program toured the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority’s (CRRUA) Santa Teresa Industrial Arsenic Treatment Facility (ATF) on Feb. 26, 2026, as part of a growing student internship program between DACC and CRRUA.
CRRUA provides water and wastewater services to Sunland Park and Santa Teresa, NM and operates four ATFs.
The internship program provides water technology students with hands-on learning opportunities inside CRRUA’s water and wastewater facilities, allowing them to apply classroom instruction in real-world operational settings.
The tour of the Santa Teresa Industrial ATF gave students an in-depth look at arsenic removal technology, regulatory compliance standards, system monitoring, and daily operational protocols. CRRUA operators guided participants through the treatment process from source water intake to filtration and final water quality testing.
Alex Salas, P.E., instructor for the DACC Water Technology Program, emphasized the value of student learning through the internship. “The internship program with CRRUA is an important workforce development pipeline for our region,” Salas said. “Providing students with direct exposure to a fully operational arsenic treatment facility bridges the gap between theory and practice and prepares them to transition successfully into utility careers.”
Juan Crosby, CRRUA executive director, highlighted CRRUA’s commitment to supporting future water professionals. “We are proud to partner with DACC to offer internship opportunities that give students meaningful, hands-on experience,” Crosby said. “Investing in education and workforce training strengthens our utility and helps develop the next generation of water professionals. The internship program began last fall and has already resulted in CRRUA’s first hiring of a DACC intern.”
DACC water technology student Vicente Sosa-Rountree participated in the tour. He said job stability is one reason he chose a career in the water/wastewater field. “Getting into a profession that provides longevity and stability, that is interesting and in high demand appealed to me,” Sosa-Rountree said. “This is my first time at an actual treatment facility. Being able to see things, contextualize them and see how they run in action rather than in a textbook helps me a lot. This tour was extremely helpful,” he said.
The internship program began with the fall 2025 semester and resulted in the hiring of one DACC Water Technology student intern. Prior to that, two DACC students who completed the water technology program gained employment with CRRUA.
-0-