Residents of Cotton Valley in El Paso County to receive first-time sewer service
San Antonio, TX – More The North American Development Bank (NADB) signed a US$1.29 million grant agreement with the Lower Valley Water District (LVWD) to finance a wastewater collection project in the Cotton Valley Colonia in El Paso County, Texas, which will provide first-time service to 78 households, thus eliminating approximately 30,000 gallons per day of inadequately treated wastewater discharges.
The grant funds are being provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), which is administered by NADB.
Residents of Cotton Valley are currently connected to LVWD’s water system and use on-site treatment systems, such as septic tanks, to manage residential wastewater. Failing on-site systems have caused wastewater overflows, creating unpleasant conditions and posing a serious health risk for the community.
In addition to installing 78 new residential sewer connections, the construction of the new sewer system includes about 5,640 linear feet of sewer lines in various diameters and 22 concrete manholes, as well as the decommissioning of 78 septic systems.
“Support for this small community will make an enormous difference in the quality of life of more than 280 residents who will now be able to connect to LVWD’s sewer system, thus reducing the risk of waterborne diseases from untreated wastewater,” stated NADB Managing Director Gerónimo Gutiérrez. “Supporting the development of basic infrastructure projects like this one is the core objective of the work performed by the Bank and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) in the U.S.-Mexico border region.”
The project was certified by BECC on December 3, 2014, and upon completion is expected to help reduce the potential for contamination of local and shared water bodies, such the Rio Grande River .