Pueblo Laguna Utility Authority

What Pueblo Laguna Utility Authority does

The Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority (POLUA) is a tribally-owned, non-profit utility authority established in 1998 by the Government of the Pueblo of Laguna and wholly owned by the Tribe for the benefit of its membership. The organization operates as a legal instrument of tribal government, governed by a five-member Board of Directors appointed by the Pueblo Council, and is responsible under its 2015 revised charter for developing, improving, operating, and maintaining water, wastewater, solid waste, fiber optic, broadband, and wireless data systems within the Pueblo's exterior boundaries.

POLUA delivers three core utility services — water distribution, wastewater management, and solid waste collection — to over 1,300 residential customers and 25 commercial customers inside the Pueblo. Water operations are managed through a SCADA-based monitoring system covering approximately 77.27 miles of pipe, 6 water wells, 2 filtration systems, and 9 storage tanks; wastewater operations oversee 19 active lagoon systems and 6 sewage lift stations; and solid waste operations include curbside pickup, a transfer station, recycling, and porta-potty and Hurby Curby rentals. The Authority operates in compliance with the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act under EPA Region 6 oversight, publishing annual Consumer Confidence Reports for the Laguna Valley, Paguate, and Encinal service areas.

The Authority runs two wholly-owned subsidiaries: K'awaika Hanu Internet (KHI), a Wireless Internet Service Provider serving approximately 350 residential and business customers with planned fiber expansion, and Laguna Utility Authority Plumbing (LUAP), a residential plumbing subsidiary currently suspended but slated for reintroduction as a Plumbing & HVAC business component. Revenue is generated through recurring monthly utility billing, broadband subscriptions, transfer station tipping fees, and equipment rentals, with online bill pay available through the E-Bill Express platform. The organization has no external investors or venture backing, and the 2019 board-adopted business plan is the most recent disclosed strategic framework.

Name

Pueblo Laguna Utility Authority

Legal name

Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority

Website

https://lagunaua.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority is a tribally-owned, non-profit utility authority providing water, wastewater, solid waste, and broadband internet services to residential and commercial customers within the exterior boundaries of the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico, operating SCADA-monitored infrastructure and a wholly-owned WISP subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (92115), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tribal/Indigenous Public Health Authorities (HLAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Municipal water services
• Wastewater management
• Solid waste collection
• Broadband internet services
• Tribal utility authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Services: Provides water distribution and management services to residential and commercial customers. Revenue generated through utility billing for water services.
2. Wastewater Services: Provides wastewater management including sewer lagoon systems, lift stations, and related infrastructure maintenance.
3. Solid Waste Services: Manages solid waste collection, transfer station operations, curbside pickup, recycling, and porta-potty/hurby rentals.
4. K'awaika Hanu Internet (KHI) Broadband Services: KHI provides wireless internet services to approximately 350 residential and business customers. Currently operates on wireless network with fiber expansion planned.
5. Laguna Utility Authority Plumbing (LUAP): Residential plumbing services subsidiary (currently suspended, expected to be reintroduced as Plumbing & HVAC business component).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority (POLUA) is a tribally owned utility authority that delivers essential municipal services to the Pueblo of Laguna community in New Mexico. Its core offerings include water distribution, wastewater management, and solid waste collection for over 1,300 residential and 25 commercial customers. It also operates K'awaika Hanu Internet (KHI), a subsidiary Wireless Internet Service Provider delivering broadband to approximately 350 customers.

Product overview

Pueblo of Laguna Utility Authority operates as a municipal utility organization providing essential services to the Pueblo of Laguna community. The organization offers three core utility products: Water Systems (distribution and management), Wastewater Systems (lagoon-based treatment and conveyance), and Solid Waste Systems (curbside collection and transfer station). These core services serve over 1,300 residential and 25 commercial customers. The Authority has established K'awaika Hanu Internet (KHI) as a subsidiary WISP offering broadband internet services, currently serving 350 customers via wireless network with future fiber expansion planned. Additional services include septic tank pumping, porta-potty and Hurby Curby rentals, online bill payment through E-Bill Express, and a Payment Assistance Program for eligible tribal members. The organization utilizes SCADA technology for infrastructure monitoring and maintains EPA Safe Drinking Water Act compliance through Consumer Confidence Reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K'awaika Hanu Internet (KHI): Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) subsidiary providing broadband internet services to the Pueblo of Laguna community, operating as a tribally wholly owned business and subsidiary of POLUA
• Laguna Utility Authority Plumbing (LUAP)

Products and services

• Water Systems Municipal water distribution service providing safe drinking water to over 1,300 residential and 25 commercial customers within the Pueblo of Laguna, managed through SCADA and manual monitoring systems across approximately 77.27 miles of pipe, 6 water wells, 2 filtration systems, and 9 storage tanks.
• Wastewater Systems Wastewater management service overseeing 19 active lagoon systems, 6 sewage lift stations with standby systems, and related conveyance infrastructure for the Pueblo of Laguna community.
• Solid Waste Systems Solid waste collection and disposal service providing residential and commercial curbside trash collection, transfer station operations, and recyclable materials handling (wood, metal).
• K'awaika Hanu Internet (KHI) Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) subsidiary of POLUA offering broadband internet services to 350 residential and business customers, currently operating on wireless point-to-point network with plans to expand to fiber network; services have no data caps.
• Septic Services and Equipment Rentals Individual residential septic tank pumping services plus rental units including Regular and Handicap porta-potties, handwashing stations, and Hurby Curby additional trash containers for the Laguna community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 1,300+ residential and 25 commercial utility customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Goodwill NMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPueblo of Laguna Environmental Program, Utility Authority, and Goodwill NM partnered to reduce e-waste material and useable household goods from homes and landfills through a collaborative environmental initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Comcast / Xfinity: Large national broadband ISP with growing rural footprint through fixed wireless and fiber expansion. Comparable to KHI as a competing broadband provider entering rural Southwestern markets, though serving vastly more subscribers.
• CenturyLink / Lumen Technologies: Major wireline and emerging fiber broadband provider in New Mexico and across the Southwest. Comparable as the incumbent broadband competitor that KHI's wireless and future fiber network must compete with on price and speed.
• Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM): Investor-owned regulated electric utility serving New Mexico, including portions adjacent to tribal lands. POLUA board member Edwin Reyes previously served PNM as a Technical Account Manager; broadly comparable as a regulated NM utility facing similar environmental compliance requirements.

Direct peers

• San Carlos Apache Tribe Utility Authority: A tribal utility entity providing water, wastewater, and related services to the San Carlos Apache community in Arizona. Comparable as a small tribal-government utility authority serving a similar-sized reservation population with overlapping service lines.
• Mescalero Apache Tribe Utilities: Tribal utility operations serving the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico, including water and wastewater services. Comparable operating model and southwestern tribal geography (POLUA board member Sterlen Kane is currently employed there as Drinking Water Compliance Officer).
• Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA): The largest tribally-owned utility authority in the US, providing electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, and broadband services across the Navajo Nation. Most direct comparable to POLUA in structure, charter, and service mix, with a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Indian Health Service - Sanitation Facilities Construction Program: Federal program that funds and operates decentralized water and wastewater infrastructure on tribal lands. Comparable as an alternative service delivery model for the same customer base and similar regulatory drivers in New Mexico and the Southwest.
• NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program: Federal grant program earmarking billions for tribal broadband build-out. Comparable to KHI's USDA-funded origins and a direct catalyst/competitor for tribal broadband subscribers in the same geographies.

Regional players

• Village of Ruidoso Municipal Utilities: Small New Mexico municipal water/wastewater/solid waste utility serving a comparably-sized mountain community. Comparable as a similarly scaled municipal utility operator in the same state, though not tribal-owned and serving a different geography.

Others

• USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS): Federal agency that funds rural water, wastewater, broadband, and electric infrastructure (the source of POLUA's Community Connect Grant). Key financing and grant counterparty for POLUA and comparable tribal utilities nationwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pol.utilityauthority
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pueblo-of-laguna-utility-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pueblo Laguna Utility Authority