Water System Improvements for Anthony, New Mexico bring quality service to residents

The project total cost was US$8.8 million and received US$2.8 million in grant funds from the North American Development Bank’s Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), which operates with funds provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the purpose of making high priority water and wastewater projects affordable for communities in the U.S.-Mexico border region.  The project was certified by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) in May 2011 and received $261,000 grant through BECC’s Project Development Assistance Program (PDAP) for project design, planning, and engineering tasks.

“We congratulate the Anthony Water and Sanitation District for its dedication and commitment to this project. With the completion of this project residents now have access to safe drinking water and a water system that will meet the future needs of this community.  This project exemplifies effective coordination among partnering agencies across local, state and federal levels, and will improve the quality of life for Anthony residents by increasing water delivery capacity, as well as the quality of water treatment,” said Maria Elena Giner, BECC General Manager. “As an agency that works along the US-Mexico border region, we witness significant need for improved water infrastructure and intimately understand the difficult challenges that can be faced in implementing projects.” 

AWSD Superintendent Jose E. Terrones welcomed guests who included AWSD board members Ron Gillet, Yolanda Alvarez, and Veronica Rodriquez, New Mexico State Senator Joseph Cervantes and Representative Doreen Gallegos, County of Anthony Mayor Arnulfo Castañeda, Trustees James Scott Betty, Diana Murillo, and Pilar Madrid and Municipal Judge Peggy Scoot and Dona Ana County Commissioner Dr. David Garcia along with a representative from BECC and NADB.  Speakers included Marco Grajeda, Aide to U.S. Senator Tom Udall, Gabriel Vasquez, Aide to U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, and Peter Ibarbo, Aide to Congressman Steve Pearce and Terry Brunner, State Director for USDA Rural Development, Jerry Paz, Vice President Molzen Corbin, and Steve Deal, Project Engineer for the New Mexico Environmental Department. 

In a written statement by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Sen. Heinrich congratulated the Anthony Water and Sanitation District for its “efforts to ensure that Anthony residents have access to a reliable, clean and safe source of water now and for years to come.”  In his statement, he assured residents of his continued efforts to ensure that federal programs such as the water infrastructure improvement projects offered by USDA Rural Development are recognized for their value and continue to be funded.

The project included construction of two water wells with a combined capacity of 1,700 gallons a minute, as well as the installation of new pump equipment in two other water wells, a Reverse Osmosis(RO) unit with a capacity of 600 gallons per minute and more than 14,900 feet of PVC waterlines.  The two water wells (Wells #1 and 4) will provide water to the system and part of the water from Well #1 will be treated using the new RO unit. The treated water will then be blended with water from Wells #1, 3, and 4.  

To date, BECC has certified 10 projects in New Mexico, eight of which have been financed by NADB. Of these 10 projects, eight are related to water and wastewater services including the Anthony Water System Improvement project, one for water conservation improvements and one for a landfill expansion and transfer station. BECC works to help preserve, protect and improve the environment of the border region in order to enhance the well-being of the people of the United States and Mexico by facilitating strategic initiatives and sustainable projects through a transparent binational certification process in close coordination with NADB; international organization; federal, state and local agencies; the private sector and general public.

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 works to develop environmentally and financially sustainable projects with broad community support in a framework of close cooperation and coordination between the two countries.