BECC outreach efforts span the U.S.-Mexico Border

Covering topics such as renewable energy and federal funding opportunities to working with local officials on improving wastewater treatment plants, the BECC team of program and project managers works effectively applying bi-national policies and programs that support the sustainable development of environmental infrastructure in the border region.

Earlier in the month of November the Arizona Rural Water Infrastructure Committee (RWIC) hosted a funding forum to present the various federal and state funding options available for water/wastewater infrastructure projects to members from area water utilities. Among the presenters at the Phoenix event were Program Managers Temis Alvarez and Roberto Molina. Among the participants WIFA staff and representatives of area water utilities. Alvarez gave a project status update as well as introduced new initiatives related to energy management for water utilities and programs related to border infrastructure being undertaken by the BECC such as the Los Alisos wastewater collection and treatment project in Nogales, Sonora.

“WIFA really appreciates BECC’s involvement at the Rural Water Infrastructure Committee’s Funding Forum. The annual funding forum provides drinking water and wastewater entities with information on available federal and state funding for rural communities serving less than 10,000. Working together, RWIC funding partners can find affordable funding options for Arizona’s rural communities,” said Sandy Sutton, WIFA Executive Director.

On November 21 and 22 BECC presented information on its certification process and NADB’s project financing process to the 51 municipalities of the state of Nuevo Leon. Representing BECC was Jorge Hernandez who spoke at the resource management workshop hosted by the Secretary of Social Development for Nuevo Leon. The objective of the workshop was to inform the city leaders of the available types of funding and resources at the local, state and federal, levels. Other participants were the Federal Electricity Commission, the Insti tute of Anthropology and History, the Department of Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Labor. Hernandez provided an explanation of the role of the BECC and NADB in the development and financing of projects, the technical assistance programs as well as the BEIF and communities support programs. In the same visit, Hernandez met with the Secretary of Sustainable Development of Nuevo Leon Fernando Gutierrez Moreno to work on coordinating with the waste management agency SIMEPRODE State and review the feasibility of submitting a project through a partnership of municipalities for solid waste disposal. The two also discussed sustainable transportation issues and the community support program, which is presented as a resource option for municipalities with little or no ability to borrow.

Also in November Project Manager J.T. O’Brien kicked off four projects, participated in a town meeting for the water system improvement project that will provide new water services to more than 27 homes in Mesilla, New Mexico and , coordinated a continuing project in Cuadrilla, Texas. The recently started projects including the Mesilla water system project are the Cotton Valley First Time Wastewater Collection project in Socorro, TX, an arsenic removal project in Tornillo, TX and the lift station replacement project in Anthony, N.M. For the Cuadrilla project, the Water Control and Improvement District #4, Environmental Protection Agency and BECC have begun working on a permanent solution to replace the existing wastewatertreatment plant in Cuadrilla. During the process, members of the Cuadrilla community had the opportunity to ask questions about the project, and to express its concerns about the future of the project and to participate in the decision making process.

“Residents need to be given an opportunity to have a say and voice. This is going to impact their community and they have questions about it. With a public meeting you have an opportunity to get involved and we have the chance to solicit public input. While this project is for a six block area, it would affect a larger community,” said Geri de la Torre, General Manager El Paso County Water Conservation and Improvement District #4.

O’Brien also worked with community members in Anthony to develop a scope for the PER which will be used to identify the best options to replace the existing lift station. Held in the offices of the Anthony Sanitation District, in Anthony, New Mexico, O’Brien met with personnel of the project sponsor along with members from Molzen-Corbin and Associates.

In October O’Brien met with staff from the Pan American Health Organization, and UTEP to develop the Health Initiative Assessment proposal and to work on edits to the application. The team worked primarily on paring down the application to make it more concise, while still including all of the crucial elements.

Also in October, Project Manager Marco Granados, met with members of OOMAPAS San Luis Rio Colorado (SLRC), CONAGUA, EPA and North American Development Bank to kick-off a proposed wastewater project. Along with Hector Aguirre, EPA, Javier Ortiz, NADB, and from OOMAPAS SLRC General Director Erick Merino Payan, Technical Director Humberto Hernandez Aguilar, Administrative Director Carla Luna U rias, and via teleconference Jose Gutierrez, and Hector Alvarez of CONAGUA, the group discussed the “Expansion of Wastewater collection in Avenidas B” which would complement the wastewater collection system to reach 100% service in the city. During the meeting, BECC and NADB personnel presented the new leadership of Organismo Operador Municipal de Agua Potable Alcantarillado y Saneamiento de San Luis Rio Colorado (OOMAPAS SLRC) with a brief description of how each organization works and the certification process for projects.

During the same week, Project Manager Carlos Acevedo was in Palmview, TX for a Value Enginee ring (VE) workshop was held for the Agua SUD Wastewater Collection and Treatment (East). Handing the workshop were VE consultants from CDM-Smith-Richard Steele, Billy O’Donnell, Vincent Plansky, Steve Morgan, David Nicholson, Mike Brandon. Participating with Acevedo were Frank Flores, and Mario Chapa from Agua Sud, final design consultants Dario Guerra, Reddy Kajuluri, and Phillip Pawelek from S & B, Agustín Tambe, and Juan Santana from the Texas Water Development Board. Components for consideration during the workshop were the final designs of a 2.55 MGD wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) serving the City of Palmview and nearby subdivisions at the eastern portion of the AGUA SUD service area; and the collection system consisting of six lift stations, with a network of approximately 125,000 LF of gravity lines and 8,000 LF of force main to collect and convey the wastewater in 43 subdivisions to the WWTP.

In the course of a few months, BECC staff has presented at workshops, held site visits and have worked with state and city leaders. Covering an area that runs from the California-Baja California border to the Texas-Tamaulipas border, this group representing BECC works tirelessly to provide assistance for project development and increase awareness and support within each community.