Sunland Park, New Mexico receives $8 million grant for new wastewater treatment plant
- The estimated cost of the project is $11.7 million
- The new wastewater plant will be able to treat 1 million gallons per day
San Antonio, Texas. – The North American Development Bank (NADB) and the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) signed an $8 million grant agreement to finance the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that will serve the communities of Sunland Park and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
The grant funds are being provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the NADB’s Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF).
The new plant will have the capacity to treat up to one million gallons per day (mgd) of wastewater using extended aeration technology. It will replace the old 0.5-mgd North plant that was built in the 1970s and currently receives average flows of 0.7 mgd, exceeding the plant’s capacity, requiring that all wastewater flows go to the CRRUA’s South WWTP, which is operating at its maximum installed capacity of 2.0 mgd.
“Replacing this plant will increase local wastewater treatment capacity to 3.3 mgd, enabling the utility to meet future demand” stated NADB Managing Director Gerónimo Gutiérrez. “We are pleased to support the residents of Doña Ana County in meeting their infrastructure needs.”
The project, which was certified by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) on April 23, 2015, also includes rehabilitation of the View Pointe Lift Station, new pumps to discharge effluent to the Rio Grande, and a generator to support plant operations, especially in the event of a power outage, among other components.