EL PASO WASTEWATER RECLAMATION PROJECT BREAKS GROUND

BECC CHAIRMAN AND MANAGERS MEET WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN MEXICO CITY

BECC/NADBANK MORE ATTRACTIVE TO BORDER COMMUNITIES

SOLID WASTE TRAINING WORKSHOP HELD IN CD. ACUNA

NEW STEP I PROPOSALS RECEIVED

As of August 5, 1997, with the official groundbreaking of the wastewater reclamation project in El Paso, Texas, seven of the sixteen certified projects will be completed and/or under construction. The El Paso project joins the FINSA, Matamormos, Tamaulipas project (which has finished construction); and the Brawley, California; Mercedes, Texas; Nogales, Sonora; Douglas, Arizona; and EPISO projects with construction underway.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Eluid Martinez and BECC Deputy Manager Peter Silva joined the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board to break ground of the future wastewater reclamation facility. The $18 million project will provide reclaimed wastewater for irrigation of large turf areas and industrial uses in the northwest side of El Paso. The use of reclaimed wastewater for large turf area irrigation will replace the use of high quality potable water currently being used for irrigation of these areas. Additionally, utilizing reclaimed wastewater will help preserve the groundwater supply of the Mesilla Bolson. As both surface and groundwater resources become further utilized in El Paso, wastewater reuse will become a more important component of the City’s overall water resources picture and sustainable development.

The project is divided into two phases during which the El Paso Water Utilities will construct reclaimed water distribution lines, booster stations, and reservoirs for the conveyance of reclaimed water throughout west El Paso. Phase I of the project will consist of four pump stations, four ground storage reservoirs, 54,000 linear feet of pipelines and system valves. Phase II will consist of one surface reservoir, 49,000 linear feet of pipelines, and system valves.

Of the total project cost, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is providing up to $4.5 million in grants; the Texas Water Development Board has already provided a $750,000 planning grant and low-interest loan for construction. Upon completion of all phases, the project will provide a reclaimed water supply of nearly a billion gallons of water per year.

• Wastewater Treatment Plant for the FINSA Industrial Park, Matamoros, Tamp., $1 million.

• Water Treatment Plant in Brawley, CA, $25 million.
• Water Supply and Sewage Collection Project, Mercedes, TX, $4.1 million.
• Water Supply and Distribution Project (Phase I), Nogales, Son., $39 million.
• Upgrade of Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Douglas, AZ, $2 million.
• On-Site Self-Help Wastewater Treatment System for the Colonias of El Paso County, Texas, $213,000.
• Wastewater Reuse Project, El Paso, TX, $11.7 million.

• Sanitary Landfill Project, Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, $1.7 million.
• Sanitary Landfill Project, Agua Prieta, Sonora, $1.9 million.
• Wastewater Treatment System, Alton, Texas, $14.8 million.

BECC CHAIRMAN AND MANAGERS MEET WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN MEXICO CITY

BECC’s Board Chairman Ygnacio Garza, General Manager Javier Cabrera and Deputy General Manager Peter S. Silva met with environmental leaders in Mexico City in mid-July to brief them on the recent activities of the BECC. During their trip, BECC’s Chairman and top management met with Julia Carabias, Secretary of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries and BECC Board member; Juan Rebolledo Gout, Deputy Secretary of International Relations for the Secretary of Foreign Affairs; Guillermo Guerrero Villalobos, General Director of the National Water Commission (CNA); as well as Jaime Sancho y Cervera, General Director of Infrastructure and Equipment for the Secretary of Social Development (SEDESOL).

During each meeting, Chairman Garza highlighted BECC’s recent coordinating efforts with CNA, SEDESOL, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), North American Development Bank (NADBank) and state and municipal authorities to develop a long-term infrastructure development work plan, which is currently under evaluation by the BECC.

During BECC’s meeting with Deputy Secretary Rebolledo, Chairman Garza noted BECC’s role as a catalyst for promoting cooperation between the two countries to address border issues and strengthen binational relations. With CNA, the BECC managers reviewed wastewater and water supply projects for a number of Mexican border communities, and established a new coordinating mechanism between the BECC and the CNA, which will permit the financing and construction of immediate works.

Finally, during a meeting with SEDESOL, Javier Cabrera noted BECC’s work on developing solid waste projects in the border region. In this area, he reported that the BECC has already certified two projects, both in the state of Sonora, including one for Puerto Peñasco and Agua Prieta, and is working on the advancement of a project for the Frontera Chica (small border) of Tamaulipas.

With the implementation of three new programs to devote technical assistance for project development and institutional strengthening, transition funding and construction grants to border projects the BECC and NADBank have become immeasurably more attractive to U.S. and Mexican border communities previously skeptical about entering the certification-financing process. The increase in the number of Step I applications from U.S. communities is an indicator of the appeal of the new initiatives. The BECC now has received 50 Step I proposals from U.S. communities and 50 Step I proposals from Mexican communities, making this the first 50/50 split since its inception.

The benefits of these new programs to the border communities are many. Project development assistance will provide communities with resources up front to development their project proposals and strengthen their institutional capacity. Transition funds will help reduce unmanageable increases in user fees. And, construction grants will allow communities to complete the cycle and begin operating their facilities in a timely manner.

The BECC’s Technical Assistance Program will provide direct grants to help communities with project development and to comply with BECC’s Project Certification Criteria required for BECC certification and NADBank financing. The program was initially funded with a $10 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The NADBank’s Institutional Development Cooperation Program (IDP) will devote at least $2 million per year in grant resources to assist public utilities with institutional capacity and strengthening.

The NADBank’s Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF) will provide funding for construction and transition purposes for water and wastewater projects. The Construction Fund will provide grants for executing projects in communities with limited debt service capacity. The Transition Fund will provide grants to mitigate the impact of financial costs in communities with a low-repayment capacity, which will permit a gradual increase in user fees and support the extension of services to lower income areas or future regional system participants. The BEIF was initially funded with a $170 million grant from the EPA.

For more information on the Technical Assistance Program, contact the BECC at (011-52-16) 29-23-95. For information on NADBank’s multiple programs, contact the NADBank at (210) 231-8000.

The BECC hosted its second Solid Waste Training Workshop in Cd. Acuña, on June 25-27^th. More than 45 people attended the workshop, including two border mayors and more than 25 solid waste managers from the states of Coahuila, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas. The workshop focused on providing training to solid waste managers for the development, construction, financing and operation of municipal solid waste facilities.

Instrumental to the success of this initiative, which has been well received by the communities, has been the U.S. Environmental Training Institute (USETI) and Mexico’s Secretary for Social Development (SEDESOL), in partnership with the BECC, as well as the State of Coahuila and city of Acuña.

The next training course will is planned for September 8-10^th, and will focus on water projects. The workshop will be held in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, for border communities of Tamaulipas. Mexico’s National Water Commission will join the BECC and USETI as sponsors of the event. For more information, contact Mr. Adolfo Urias, BECC’s Program Manager for Engineering, at (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail: aurias@cocef.interjuarez.com.

The next public meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for September 30, 1997, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, at the Corbett Center on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The agenda for the meeting will be published in the August edition of the BECCNEWS, including information related to the projects to be considered for certification. Project information will also be available via BECC’s website: http://cocef.interjuarez.com, by August 14^th.

In accordance with Article I of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission’s (BECC) Procedures Regarding Public Notice and Comment on Project Applications, the BECC has received a Step I Form for the following projects during the month of July. Please note that this listing does not represent any type of BECC staff recommendation concerning the potential for project certification.

San Pablo Sewer System, San Pablo, New Mexico. The project involves the construction of a wastewater collection system to pump collected wastewater via a force main into an existing trunk sewer for treatment at an existing treatment plant operated by the city of Las Cruces. Total Est. Cost:$1.9 million. Contact: Mr. Jaime Villaseñor, President, San Pablo Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association, P.O. Box 280 Mesilla, New Mexico 88046. Tel: (505) 523-6233. Rec’d: 7/10/97.

Descanso Community Water District Capital Improvements Program and Facilities Replacement, Descanso, California. Replace obsolete main line distribution pipe, increase District storage capacity, rehabilitate failing wells, reduce water usage, and increase water conservation. Total Est. Cost: $ 2.1 million. Contact: Larry W. Linder, General Manager, Descanso Community Water District, 25077 Viejas Blvd., P.O. Box 610, Descanso, California 91916. Tel: (619) 445-2330; Fax: (619) 445-7496. Rec’d: 7/24/97.

Integral Solid Waste Management Plan, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua. Develop an integral plan that includes a diagnostic of existing conditions, identification of problem areas within the system, restructuring or re-design of the four fundamental stages of the management system and corrective actions for the long-term for future project development. Total Est. Cost: Not provided. Contact: Ing. Arturo Perez Reyes, Director de Limpia Municipal, Municipio de Cd. Juarez, Ave. Universidad 2190, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua. Tel: (011-52-16) 13-63-63; Fax: (011-52-16) 13-46-15. Rec’d: 7/26/97.

For more information, contact Mr. Edgardo Tovilla, BECC’s Technical Coordinator, at (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail: etovilla@cocef.interjuarez.com.