BECC General Manager presents Reynosa Mayor with Water/Wastewater Master Plan

At a meeting held at City Hall and attended by City Council members and COMAPA water utility officials, the Mayor was made aware of long-term recommendations issued in connection to the water and wastewater systems, and reviewed the wastewater collection and treatment project certified and financed by the BECC and the North American Development Bank (NADB).

In her welcoming remarks, the Mayor thanked the BECC for this visit “that is significant for a municipality with serious wastewater deficiencies that result in raw sewage overflows in some areas” and a recurring problem with collapsed wastewater collectors. She also spoke about the community´s other pressing needs, including street lighting.

“We are at your disposal to continue assisting this municipality in the development of much needed infrastructure,” said in response Maria Elena Giner.

As part of the planning recommendations, the BECC General Manager, accompanied by Project Manager Carlos Acevedo and NADB officials Bernardo Salas and Martin Rodriguez, first discussed the implementation of energy audits at ten COMAPA facilities, which resulted in the issuance of key recommendations such as correcting power factors in pumping equipment and implementing general improvements in existing electromechanical systems. These actions have an estimated cost of $7 million pesos, but will yield annual savings of more than $3 million pesos and have an approximate payback period of one to nine years.

Recommendations included in the Master Plan for the next twenty years involve an estimated investment of approximately US $250 million (4.767 billion pesos ) and emphasize enhancing the utility´s performance by increasing its physical and commercial efficiencies by 15% each, and substantially reducing its operating costs. Reports mentioned that COMAPA has very high staffing costs and experiences physical and commercial inefficiencies. The development of the Master Plan had a cost of US $124,000 and was funded in equal parts by the BECC and NADB Technical Assistance programs.

In the area of water, the recommendations are aimed at improving the water treatment system. As for wastewater collection and treatment, the plan recommends the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, 340 kilometers of new wastewater collection lines, improvement and replacement of existing pump stations, and improvements to the wastewater conveyance systems.

As part of his remarks on behalf of NADB, Bernardo Salas said his institution promotes innovative financial solutions and strives to provide added value to NADB’s mixed funds.

Financing for the wastewater collection and treatment project was approved in May 2016. The project consists of the expansion of Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 2 (WWTP-2), serving the south area of Reynosa, the construction of a new lift station, and the rehabilitation of an existing lift station in northern Reynosa. Project related tasks, including the bidding process, will be carried out in the coming weeks, and the construction is scheduled to begin in March 2017. The project construction is estimated to be completed by the first half of 2018.

In closing the meeting, the Mayor said: “We will strive to find the best solutions for the city," and she thanked the agencies for the proposed long-term recommendations. She recognized that these efforts require broad community support.

The General Manager pledged to provide support through existing technical assistance programs for the development of final designs for some of the priority projects discussed at the meeting.