Financing Agreement signed for new Reynosa Wastewater Collection and Treatment Project

Financing is being provided through the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF) funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by NADB. The grant agreement was signed by NADB Managing Director Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez, and Mario Alberto Zavala Merle on behalf of COMAPA.

The project, which was certified by the BECC in May of this year, consists of the expansion of the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant 2 (WWTP-2) serving the south area of Reynosa, as well as the construction of a lift station and the rehabilitation of an existing lift station in northern Reynosa.

The implementation of the proposed project will eliminate an average of 400 lps of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater, which will reduce the potential for contamination of shared bodies of water, including the Rio Grande, as well as the risk of waterborne diseases, thus resulting in a positive impact on the health of residents of nearby communities such as McAllen or Pharr, Texas, and throughout the entire region.  

The project includes the following components:
•      Wastewater collection infrastructure, including the construction of lift station No. 278 (88 lps), the rehabilitation of lift station 1 (360 lps), improvements to lift stations at WWTP-2 LS-30 (600 lps) and LS-22 (200 lps), approximately 970 linear meters of gravity sewer lines, 5,762 linear meters of force main, and 18 manholes;
•      Increased capacity for Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 2 (WWTP-2), consisting of two treatment modules based on “trickling filters,” with capacity to treat 250 lps each.
•      Decommissioning of three lift stations (2, 7, and 8) 

COMAPA-Reynosa will use the BEIF funds to begin the construction of Lift Stations 12 and 278 during the third quarter of this year and expects to complete the tasks in 15 months. The expansion of WWTP 2 has already been completed and is undergoing testing. The facility is expected to launch operations during the second half of 2016.

During a visit made by the BECC to the WWTP2 facility in Reynosa, COMAPA Technical Manager Felipe de Jesus Chiu Vega stated: “This plant began construction in 2008 and started operating in 2010 with an initial treatment capacity of 250 liters per second, and we have been working with this capacity since.” Additionally, he said: “the expansion will help us provide treatment to 100% of our wastewater.”

Moises Abel Garcia, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Reynosa Comprehensive Wastewater Treatment Project, said: “the civil society in Reynosa is very grateful and pleased with the highly effective work carried out by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, better known as BECC, and the North American Development Bank.”

Lastly, Serafin Gomez, General Manager of the utility, acknowledged that this project will allow Reynosa to "leverage all the assistance we may receive,” and said: “Reynosa has experienced a very strong, very fast growth and we are just catching up with the demand.”

He also stated: “We also want cooperate with all federal and international agencies so we can have a much healthier, much cleaner Reynosa and make the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo a clean water river.”

The Manager of COMAPA thanked the NADB “for the funds it makes available,” and the BECC, “which has been instrumental to us by providing technical advice for all our processes –to obtain the certification, to be able to have these projects ready to meet all the requirements and gain access to loans made available by the NADB.” Finally, he thanked the entire team, as well as the Mayor’s Office, the Federal Government, and the State Government. “Everyone has combined into a great team that made it possible to obtain these benefits for Reynosa,” he said.

For video on the project, please use the following link:
http://www.becc.org/news/videos/certification-and-financing-approved-for-new-reynosa-wastewater-collection-and-treatment-project#.V4kJlvkrKM8