The village of Magdalena is scrambling now that its sole drinking water well has gone dry.
Village Marshal Larry Cearley says the water table has dropped almost 20 feet since January due to the persistent drought that has plagued nearly all of New Mexico for the last three years.
And the community's one well has collapsed, leaving about 1,000 residents and several businesses without water Wednesday when the level dropped below the well's pump.
Magdalena has put in a request with the state engineer's office to drill a new well, but the community will have to rely on water tenders from Socorro and White Sands Missile Range for the time being.
Cearley says the village can only deliver so much water for so long.
The village is also ordering cases of water from stores in nearby Socorro.