Work begins to install residential sewer connections in
Loma Blanca, Chihuahua
Loma Blanca, Chihuahua. – In the presence of Chihuahua Governor Javier Corral Hurtado and Dr. Calixto Mateos-Hanel, Acting Managing Director of the North American Development Bank (NADB), work began to install residential sewer connections funded by NADB in the community of Loma Blanca, in the municipality of Juarez, Chihuahua.
The project with a total estimated cost of US$1.36 million was certified by the NADB Board of Directors in November 2017 and is receiving a US$519,00 grant through the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), which is financed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by NADB. The Government of the State of Chihuahua and the Mexican National Water Commission provided approximately US$842,105 million in funding to build the sewer system and other project components.
This community of close to 4,000 residents located in the Juarez Valley, a few miles east of Ciudad Juarez, did not have access to a wastewater collection and treatment system, so residents had to use latrines or septic tanks. Occasionally, untreated wastewater is discharged directly onto the streets and vacant lots, polluting surface and groundwater and causing gastrointestinal illnesses.
To remedy this situation, the state water agency, Junta Central de Agua y Saneamiento (JCAS), proposed building a gravity wastewater collection system using multiannual phased approach. The wastewater collected by the system will be discharged to the South-South Collector and conveyed to the Juarez Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant for proper treatment.
This project consists of the construction of 122,211 feet of sewer lines, 2,612 feet of sewer mains, 1 canal crossing and 3 roadway crossings, as well as the installation of 930 residential sewer connections, including yard lines and the decommissioning of on-site sanitary systems. Upon completion, the new system will provide first-time wastewater service to 100% of the community and is expected to collect an estimated 205,420 gallons per day of wastewater for treatment.
The South-South Collector and treatment plant, which were also partially financed with a BEIF grant and NADB loan, began operations on November 12, 2018, once some additional challenges were addressed and thanks to investments made by JCAS to complete the infrastructure, which was necessary in order to proceed with the wastewater project in Loma Blanca.
Dr. Mateos-Hanel acknowledged the efforts and collaboration of the state government and JCAS in completing the pending section of the South-South Collector and initiating the operation of the Juarez Valley Treatment Plant. “It shows that the coordinated efforts of all levels of government can successfully move much-needed projects forward to provide a better quality of life for residents in the region,” he stated. “Thanks to this collaboration and the support of EPA, residents in Loma Blanca will have reliable service, and untreated wastewater discharges to agricultural drains in the Juarez Valley will be eliminated.”
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NADB is a financial institution established and capitalized in equal parts by the United States and Mexico for the purpose of financing environmental infrastructure projects along their common border. As a pioneer institution in its field, the Bank is working to develop environmentally and financially sustainable projects with broad community support in a framework of close cooperation and coordination between Mexico and the United States.