Background

Ninety-three percent of the community has access to informal drinking water service. Residents obtain their supply from water trucks or through substandard connections made with plastic hoses inappropriate for this purpose.

Currently, the community of San Agustin does not have a wastewater collection or treatment system. The lack of wastewater collection and treatment poses a considerable risk for contamination of surface and groundwater, both locally and in shared water bodies such as the Rio Grande. This, in turn, increases the risk for the transmission of diseases
due to the potential for human contact with raw sewage and contaminated water and soil.

To remedy this situation, JCAS is proposing a project to expand and rehabilitate the drinking water distribution system and construct a sewer system in San Agustin that will be connected to the El Millon Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), which will be expanded to accommodate the sewage flows from Agustin.

Description

Drinking water components:

• Equipment for two deep wells, including discharge lines,
  discharge line protection and an operator booth;
• Installation of disinfection systems for two water wells;
• Construction of 4,999 linear feet of transmission lines;
• Construction of an elevated water tank with 52,834 gallons
  capacity;
• Construction of 99,686 linear feet of water distribution lines; and
• Installation of 711 residential water hookups (50 new, 661 for
  rehabilitation);

Wastewater collection components:

• Construction of 37,941 linear feet of sewer lines;
• Installation of 711 residential sewer connections; and construction of 11,482 linear feet of sewer main to connect the San Agustin sewer system to the WWTP.

Wastewater treatment infrastructure:
Construction of a new treatment module with the capacity to treat 120,970 gallons a day (gd) of wastewater in the El Millón WWTP.

Benefits

This project will provide reliable water and wastewater services to 100% of the community, thus eliminating potential health and environmental risks associated with the lack of potable water and contact with raw sewage. It will also reduce the potential for groundwater and surface water contamination by eliminating the use of latrines, septic tanks, and wastewater discharges to open-air drains. Specifically, an estimated 109,786 gallons a day of wastewater will be collected and treated