Update (December 12, 2025): The City of Sunland Park provided ABC-7 with the following statement addressing the noise. Read the full statement below:
"CRRUA has taken steps to reduce the noise at the site, and as of December 11, there has been a marked reduction in noise levels. The utility will continue monitoring the area to ensure the improvement holds and will make additional refinements if needed.
The long-term solution remains on schedule. The full replacement of the aging Riverside Vacuum Station is supported by $1.9 million from the Colonias Infrastructure Grant, with financial matching guarantees approved by the Sunland Park City Council. CRRUA plans to seek construction bids in January, with work expected to begin in March."
SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A noisy sewer vacuum station operated by the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority continues to disrupt residents' lives on both sides of the state line, despite a formal noise complaint and growing frustration from neighbors.
The issue centers on a CRRUA vacuum station situated near the Summer Park neighborhood.
Residents say the noise, which has persisted for months, can be heard at all hours, sometimes from as far as half a mile away.
Laura Madson, who lives on the El Paso side of the border, said she first noticed the noise in the spring, before she said it disappeared. By summer, she said, it returned and grew harder to ignore.
"I spent a lot of time thinking I was crazy because I'm like, it's louder. People would be like, 'I don't even hear it,' and I'm like, 'Yes, you do,' you just don't think you hear it," she said.
"It started to become really problematic when I realized I could hear it inside my own house," Madson added.
She filed a noise complaint through the City of Sunland Park's online system.
"I sent a message through the app. I did get a response, which I did not love," Madson said.
Madson said the city told her that officials conducted a sound test from 300 feet away and did not detect any noise, adding that it was not possible for her to hear the sound from her home.
Standing in her neighborhood about half a mile from the station, Madson said the noise remains audible.
"I am annoyed, but my primary concern is for the people who live down there," she said.
A CRRUA spokesperson told reporters earlier this week that the agency is aware of the problem, is working on a solution, and plans to begin construction to replace the vacuum station in March.
ABC-7 spoke to Sunland Park’s community development director, who said he would review Madson’s complaint after being informed of the issue.
ABC-7 placed multiple follow-up calls to him, and has not yet heard back.
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