1. Type of Project
The Comprehensive Water and Wastewater Project
for the City of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, (Matamoros Project), as described in
this document, proposes improvements needed for the city's water, wastewater
collection and treatment infrastructure to enable the City to meet present and
future water quality needs for a 23-year project planning period. The project
is divided into two phases. The first phase comprises three years, from 2003 to
2005, while the second phase covers the years 2006 to 2020 or later, depending
on urban development rates and financial resources available at the time. In
order to provide technical oversight for the project a Binational Technical
Committee (BTC) was established, made up of representatives from the
corresponding U.S. and Mexico agencies: United States Environment Protection
Agency (USEPA), International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. and Mexican sections
(IBWC and CILA), National Water Commission of Mexico (CNA), Tamaulipas State
Water Commission (CEAPA), North American Development Bank (NADB), Matamoros
Water Utilities (JAD) and Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC). The project will improve the quality
of life and environment of the residents of Matamoros, in addition to bringing
about beneficial environmental impacts to the border city of Brownsville, Texas
and other small communities in both countries.
2. Project Location
The City of Matamoros
is the head of the municipality of Matamoros, located in the northeastern part
of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The city of Matamoros borders Brownsville,
Texas, to its north, as the two cities are only separated by the Rio Grande.
The City of Matamoros is bounded on the east by the Gulf of Mexico, south by
the city of San Fernando, and west by the municipalities of Valle Hermoso and
Rio Bravo, all of the cities also in the State of Tamaulipas.
Matamoros is located
along the Rio Grande River approximately 37 kilometers upstream from the
river's outfall to the Gulf of Mexico. The location's geographic coordinates
are 25º52 N and 97º30 W, 10 meters above sea level.
Description of the
Community
This section presents a
description of the site's demography and the water and wastewater services
provided by Matamoros Committee for Water and Drainage (Junta de Agua y
Drenaje -JAD). The information
describes the population that will benefit from the project, which in this case
includes all of Matamoros' current and future residents, as well as the
problems to be addressed under the project. The source of information provided
is the "Land Use and Population Update for the Master Plan to Improve
Water and Wastewater Services in Matamoros," developed by consultant HG
Construcciones y Supervisión (HG Update).
It should be noted that after the development of this study, the results of the
12th Population and Housing Census administered by the Mexican
Statistics, Geography and Information Institute (INEGI) in 2000 were published. This information was compared
with the population projections estimated by the HG Update, and it was
concluded that population growth assessments will need to be developed every
three years to correlate them to the funding scheme.
Demographic Data
Matamoros' current
population, recent growth rates and population projections were reviewed by the
BTC to determine water, wastewater collection and treatment requirements for
the next 20 years. This was confirmed via Official Communication N0B00.03.0153
dated May 26, 2002. For the duration of the project, JAD proposes to review the
population projection every three years to adjust the infrastructure
development program as appropriate.
The 1999 HG Update contains
population projections based on information from the 1995 poll and the 1990 and
older censuses. The information reflects a 4.01% average annual growth rate.
This results in a baseline population of 427,611 residents by the year 2000.
The projected population for the year 2020 would be 938,751. These results were
used as part of the baseline information to develop the project. However, once
the results of the 2000 Census were published, it was noticed that the
population projections turned out to be higher than the Census number (427,611
projected vs. 393,767 from census data). Thus, a two-phase funding scheme was developed; a
first three-year phase with a follow-on second phase based on a population
growth assessment at the end of the first period and making corresponding
adjustments. The projected population
assumed by year 2020 will be 616,529.
Municipal Environmental Services
According to the most
recent information from INEGI's 12th Population and Housing Census
(2000), the city of Matamoros has water and wastewater collection coverage
rates of 89.5% and 77.3%, respectively.
But Matamoros problems
are not limited to a significant backlog in water and wastewater collection
services coverage. Existing infrastructure has not been upgraded or adequately
maintained due to a considerable lack of resources. This has forced JAD to
resort to practices that do not benefit the environment. The entire amount of
wastewater generated in Matamoros currently remains untreated and is dumped
into open-air canals and drains. Due to corrosion, wastewater collection lines
have collapsed in different parts of the city's primary system, resulting with
the need to rehabilitate 11 kilometers of wastewater collection lines. At times
the cost of rehabilitating collapsed lines exceeds the amount of funds immediately
available to JAD, which trigger the use of "quick fixes" like
cross-connections between wastewater and rainwater runoff collection lines to
somehow alleviate the problem. However,
these actions ultimately result in contamination of the Rio Grande River and
agricultural drain waters. Additionally, the use of rainwater collection lines
to relieve wastewater lines reduces the rainwater runoff conveyance capacity.
In addition, the dumping of untreated wastewater into canals and drains is a
major health risk factor in the proliferation of waterborne diseases.
With regard to the
water system, the existing treatment systems do not have the equipment or
backup treatment units available for JAD to respond to emergencies or schedule
preventive maintenance. This also causes equipment and facilities to wear out
prematurely, thus increasing the inefficiency in the use of available
resources.
A very serious problem
is the amount of water losses, currently estimated at 37%. A city such as
Matamoros, with a water supply shortage, needs to establish and maintain
operating policies and efficient use programs to reduce losses. It is clear
that water, wastewater collection and treatment services in Matamoros need to
be expanded and upgraded in view of the deficient conditions of some of the
existing infrastructure. It is therefore necessary to implement an
Infrastructure Improvement Program for Matamoros to address major environmental
issues and to improve the quality of life of the city's residents.
3. Project Description and Tasks
The project activities
proposed under the Comprehensive Water and Wastewater Collection and Treatment
Project for Matamoros are divided into two phases: a first phase that includes
the 2003-2005 period during which time JAD will develop projects that are
immediately needed, and a second phase to develop the tasks proposed to meet
future needs, from year 2006 to 2020 or later. Actions for this second phase
will be assessed and scheduled as determined by the city's urban development
rate.
To meet the objectives
of the project, tasks have been programmed based on the priority needs in the
city of Matamoros. This was the basis used to schedule the tasks described
below, which are grouped by type of infrastructure. The needs and priorities
were determined by JAD based on the overall condition of the infrastructure'
and the demands of the residents.
Water
Raw Water Supply for Treatment
The National Water
Commission (CNA) of Mexico has granted JAD a water allowance of 48.1 Mm³/year,
which amounts to an average flow of 1,525 l/s. This meets the water demands for
the first phase of the project according to a technical analysis developed by
CNA's Rio Grande Regional Management Office - confirmed via Official
Communication (letter No.) BOO.00R07.07.02-029 (03) of January 16, 2003.
Considering the harsh
water shortages in the Lower Rio Grande River watershed, JAD anticipates that
water scarcity in the Rio Grande basin may affect in the future Matamoros'
development. Thus, JAD proposes to address
the enormous challenge of supplying water to city residents in the future by
minimizing demand increases, directing actions consistent with the 2001-2006
National Water Program [Programa Nacional Hidráulico or PNH]. This program considers Mexico's
northern border with the United States of America as a priority area, inasmuch
as its location and economic activity make it one of the most important areas
in the country, albeit with an excessive strain on the scarce water resources.
Among the most important objectives of the PNH are to drastically reduce
unaccounted water losses and adjust water rates to reflect the true value of
water. To address the above, JAD is proposing the following actions:
§
Waterproofing
storage ponds.
§
Installing
100,000 household water meters.
§
Adjusting water
rates and assessing the potential reduction in per capita water use as a result
of the proposed adjustment.
§
Reclaiming water
from water treatment plant backwash units.
§
Reviewing water
demands at the end of the first three-year period of the project based on population growth.
§
In the mid-term,
the project anticipates the need to conduct feasibility studies to explore the
possibility of groundwater withdrawal and treatment. Groundwater has high
salinity levels, thus the viability of using this resource must first be
assessed.
The capacity of
presettling basins will be increased to 110,000 m³ for the first phase. It is anticipated that after the year 2020,
storage will need to be increased to 1,300,000 m³. The area where these basins
are currently located is not large enough for expansion in the year 2020, so a
different site will have to be located for new basins, or to build additional
storage.
Water demand
projections presented in the planning study show an average daily demand of
3,509 l/s by the year 2020, including a 10% loss rate in presettling basins.
These projections will be evaluated at the end of the first phase (2005) and
every three years afterwards to make the appropriate adjustments in the funding
program.
Water Treatment
Improvements
to the water treatment infrastructure consists of rehabilitating and expanding
Water Treatment Plant #2 to reach a 1,000 l/s treatment capacity, which is the
required volume for the year 2005. Expansion would continue gradually to arrive
at the capacity required by the year 2020 after evaluating water demands after
the completion of the first phase. As for the rest of the existing facilities,
they will be decommissioned and demolished once Water Treatment Plant #2
reaches the capacity needed to treat the total amount of water required by the
end of the project planning period.
Simultaneously with the expansion of Water Treatment Plant #2 during the
first phase, chlorination facilities will be rehabilitated and permanent staff
training programs will be established.
It is important to mention that no additional water rights will be
required for this first phase of the project.
The implementation of
the above tasks will improve the quality of the water treatment plant effluent
to meet Official Mexican Norms related to water turbidity and total coliform
criteria. Improvements to the chlorination systems will eliminate excessive
residual chlorine, and trihalomethane problems will be addressed by upgrading
the water treatment and disinfection processes.
Water Distribution
Expansion and improvements need to be implemented at the WTP #2
high-service pump station to convey the plant's design flow to elevated tanks or directly to the
distribution system during the years 2005 and 2020. The tasks that need to be
implemented include the demolition of the two existing elevated tanks due to
their faulty structural condition. Also two new elevated tanks need to be
constructed during the first phase, and four more in the following phase, all
located throughout the city and each with a capacity of 3,600 m³. This will
assure sufficient water reserves and maintain the minimum pressure required by
the distribution system during the hours of peak demand. For the subsequent
phase, storage tanks within the Water Treatment Plant # 2 site are proposed to
be constructed for use as clear water storage tanks and for additional storage
for emergency response. These storage tanks will require a capacity of 35,000
m³ during the first few years of the 2nd phase, and may require an
additional capacity of 30,000 m³ by the year 2020, depending on the city's
population growth.
Four types of
distribution system line improvements will be required to enhance water system
operations. These were determined through water modeling.
Improvements include:
·
Interconnecting
17 km of water lines during the first phase. This will enhance both water flow
and pressure for distribution purposes and will allow assessment of the
priority of the rest of the tasks for the following phase.
·
Constructing 9.3
km of water conveyance lines exclusively for recharging elevated tanks #3 and
#4 during the first phase, as well as lines for the other four tanks during the
second phase.
·
Conveyance
capacity will be enhanced during the second phase by replacing existing lines
with larger diameter lines to increase conveyance capacity and to reduce water
losses caused by friction.
·
Additional lines
will be rehabilitated during the second phase when they need to be replaced by
similar lines due to incrustation or corrosion.
Water
modeling was used for the wastewater system and the results were used to
determine the following actions that need to be carried out:
·
During the first
phase, constructing 14 km of interception lines on the city's east side, and 21
km on the west side.
·
Wastewater lines
need to be replaced with larger diameter pipes, in addition to increasing the
slope in some of the cases. This includes 6.8 km of collectors during first
phase projects and 87.2 km for future projects. Replacements amount to
approximately 94 km of lines (20 to 152 cm. diameter) during the project's two
phases.
·
Future projects
to be developed after 2005 include the installation of wastewater collection
lines in areas that currently do not require the service. Approximately 50 km
of lines are estimated to be needed for this task. The proposed material for
the 45 cm diameter and smaller pipes is PVC, while 61 cm and larger lines will
be of reinforced concrete with anti-corrosion protection.
·
Replacing lines
identified as having structural problems (collapsed lines) resulting from
corrosion. The project has estimated 7 km of pipes (20 to 152 cm diameter) that
need to be replaced during the first phase.
·
Some sections of
the wastewater collection system are old and will need to be replaced during
future phases. JAD estimates that 10 km of lines (20 to 152 cm diameter) will
need to be replaced.
·
Based on the
water model, the first phase includes the replacement of 16 existing pump
stations (PS) with new stations with sufficient capacity to handle design flow
rates. Ten of these stations will be located on the city's east side, while six
will be on the west side. An additional 19 stations will be built in future
phases. The Matamoros project also includes
the equipment needed to automatically operate pump stations, including
level controls, back up power generators, and telemetry. Additionally, as part
of the design criteria, the necessary tasks for conveying excess rainwater
flows will be implemented.
Rainwater Collection
Based on a cost-benefit
analysis of the tasks required to
improve the rainwater collection system, the BTC determined that the San
Francisco, Chula Vista and Ciudad Industrial coverage areas should be included
as part of the project. Results obtained from the water modeling reflected the
following capacity requirements for rainwater pump stations for the project's
second phase:
§ San Francisco 13,800 l/s.
§ Chula Vista 16,600 l/s.
§
Ciudad Industrial
[Industrial City] 14,000 l/s.
Wastewater Treatment
To prevent Matamoros
from being a source of contamination for the Rio Grande and agricultural
drains, the construction of wastewater treatment plants is proposed to address
the issue of untreated wastewater discharges.
In order to provide
adequate treatment to existing and future wastewater flows in the planning
area, the project proposes the construction of
three Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). Based on wastewater flow
projection rates for the service area, these three facilities must be built in
phases, with gradual expansions until they have enough capacity to treat the
flows and loads projected by the year 2020. A first phase will start with the
construction of a 400 l/s wastewater treatment facility in the eastern part of
the city, which is to be completed by the year 2005. West and South WWTPs
would be during the second phase.
The system considered
as most appropriate for the treatment of wastewater generated by Matamoros
consists of a lagoon system. This type of arrangement performs adequately for
biological removal, provided proper design and maintenance are ensured. The
city's weather conditions, with a high temperature, mild winter conditions and
abundant sun, are optimal for this type of treatment system. Table 1 presents
the projected treatment capacity and completion timeframes.
TABLE 1
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANTS FLOW
|
year |
total treatment capacity average flow (lps) |
||
|
west wwtp |
east wwtp |
south wwtp |
|
|
2003 |
----- |
400 |
----- |
|
2006 |
705 |
----- |
----- |
|
2008 |
----- |
----- |
450 |
|
2020 |
940 |
500 |
900 |
Source: Master Plan
In addition to the above,
the use of a lagoon system makes it possible that a portion of the effluent may
be improved to meet higher water quality standards for industrial reuse.
Furthermore, operation and maintenance costs for a lagoon treatment system are
low compared to those of other treatment methods.
Task Schedule
Tasks considered for
the Comprehensive Water and Wastewater Collection and Treatment Project for
Matamoros, as mentioned above, will be grouped into two major phases: a first
phase that includes priority tasks to be completed by the year 2005 and a group
of future works needed to meet infrastructure demands projected through the
year 2020. On this basis, the task schedule for the first phase of the project
is summarized in Table 2 . This schedule could be modified due
to the costs defined in the final design, which is under development.
TABLE 2
SUMMARY OF TASKS FOR THE FIRST PHASE -
2003-2005
period
|
DESCRIPTION OF ITEM |
BUDGET (MILLION PESOS) |
NOTES |
|
WASTEWATER COLLECTION
AND TREATMENT |
||
|
Vactor equipment |
$ 5 |
|
|
Decommissioning of the
Ocampo Collector |
$ 15 |
|
|
Pump stations, mains,
and increased capacity in collectors, West area |
$ 150 |
|
|
Repairs to collapsed
lines in Primary System* |
$ 38 |
Downtown and various
city areas |
|
Pump stations and construction of 14 km of interception lines , East
area |
$ 84 |
Various diameters; city's East |
|
Construction of the East
Wastewater Treatment Plant |
$ 58 |
400 l/s. Located on the
city's east area, |
|
WATER AND INSTITUTIONAL
CAPACITY BUILDING |
||
|
Replacement of service
vehicles |
$ 10 |
63 units |
|
Construction of Elevated
Tank #3 and conveyance line |
$ 37 |
3600 m3 tank |
|
Construction of Elevated
Tank #4 and conveyance line |
$ 36 |
3600 m3 tank |
|
Rehabilitation of Water
Treatment Plant #2 |
$ 14 |
Up to 1,000 l/s with
water reclamation from filter backwash |
|
Expansion and improvements
to the high service pump station |
$ 23 |
|
|
Disinfection system in
Plants #1 and #2 (chlorination system) |
$ 2 |
|
|
Installation of 100,000
household meters |
$ 120 |
Throughout the city |
|
Sectorization of main
lines |
$ 15 |
|
|
Capacity building
actions |
|
|
|
Update user registry |
$ 4 |
|
|
By-Pass |
$ 3 |
|
|
Water storage lagoon
110,000 m3 |
$ 19 |
|
|
Transmission lines |
$ 47 |
36" line |
|
Total |
$ 680 |
|
TABLE 3
summary of COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT COSTS
INVESTMENT BY TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
|
line item |
ESTIMATED INVESTMENT IN MILLION PESOS |
|
|
FIRST PHASE |
FUTURE PHASE |
|
|
Water
infrastructure and institutional capacity building |
330 |
1,700 |
|
Wastewater treatment
and collection infrastructure |
350 |
1,818 |
|
Works funded by
CNA |
80 |
|
|
INVESTMENT BY
PHASE |
760 |
3,518 |
|
TOTAL FUNDS |
|
4,278 |
As shown above, the
first phase requires 680 million pesos to complete the projects described in the
above tables. Section 4 provides a more detailed description of the funding
scheme and the proposed contributions by each of the participating agencies.
4.
Conformance to International Treaties and Agreements
The Mexican and U.S.
sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission share
responsibility for jointly addressing environmental and boundary issues that
affect the region, particularly those pursuant to the 1983 La Paz Agreement.
Under the Agreement, both countries pledged to implement joint actions to
protect, enhance and conserve the environment along the common border. The
joint cooperation efforts were enhanced as a result of the North American Free
Trade Agreement, with the goal of improving the region's environment and public
health.
In accordance with the
above, the project is based on guidelines established by IBWC for the
development of projects. Specifically, the project is described in the
"Joint Report by Principal Engineers and Technical Advisors to the Work
Plan for the Comprehensive Project for Matamoros, Tamaulipas." The joint
report was signed on February 6, 1998 by engineers in charge and technical
consultants to IBWC's Mexican and U.S. sections, the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the [Mexican] National Water
Commission (CNA). The aforesaid document is an addendum to IBWC's Minute 294,
"Infrastructure Planning for addressing Border Wastewater Collection and
Treatment Issues" of November 24, 1995.
Minute 307 of the
International Boundary and Water Commission, signed on March 16, 2001, provides
some water use policies intended to establish a contingency plan to address
Mexico's water debt to the United States that resulted from the 1944
International Boundary and Water Treaty.
The Matamoros project,
in addition to conforming to these international treaties and agreements, will
result in great binational benefits. Some of the most important goals are:
1.
The elimination
of wastewater discharges to the Rio Grande to obtain environmental benefits for
both countries.
2.
A more efficient
and rational use of water as proposed by this project evidences the willingness
of Mexican authorities to abide by water distribution agreements between Mexico
and the United States.
3.
Investments will be
made in water projects to increase water use efficiency in Matamoros by
reducing per capita consumption and making a more rational use of the scarce
volume of water obtained from the Rio Grande.
4.
Institutional
capacity building actions will provide for improved efficiency during JAD's
administration, thus creating a comprehensive water culture to achieve the
city's sustainable development.
This project complies with agreements executed by Mexico and the United States such as the La Paz Agreement, the Comprehensive Environmental Plan for the Border; the Border 2012 Program, and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
1. Human Health and Environmental Need. The
"La Palangana" lagoon, which receives flows from agricultural drains,
and the Rio Grande, are the two bodies of water receiving most of the
wastewater discharges from the city. The remaining wastewater is discharged
into agricultural drains located south of the city. Based on these facts, it is
easy to understand the serious nature of water pollution and degradation
problems that impact on these bodies of water and their surrounding
environment. Accordingly, wastewater collection and treatment actions are
urgently needed in Matamoros.
These environmental problems impact on human health, inasmuch as they
expose residents, especially those who live near these sources of pollution, to
gastrointestinal type diseases. The undeniable importance of water for human
life and its susceptibility to become contaminated make water the main vehicle
for the transmission of pathogens like bacteria, intestinal parasites, and
other organisms. Diseases that are spread in this manner are called waterborne
diseases, while those transmitted by ingesting contaminated foods are called
digestive diseases.
Table 4 is presented with the purpose of
showing waterborne disease trends. It is clear that there is a trend towards
higher incidence rates in these types of diseases, which are expected to be
indirectly reduced by minimizing
potential sources of disease proliferation.
history of waterborne disease rates in the
municipality of matamoros
|
disease |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002* |
|
Typhoid fever |
15 |
18 |
45 |
50 |
48 |
25 |
|
Paratyphoid
fever and other salmonellosis |
1,361 |
2,104 |
816 |
760 |
22 |
16 |
|
Shigellosis |
30 |
35 |
9 |
51 |
83 |
30 |
|
Intestinal
infections caused by other organisms and misdiagnosis |
35,094 |
73,651 |
32,053 |
43,558 |
47,645 |
28,576 |
|
Intestinal
amoebiasis |
1,672 |
3,668 |
4,087 |
2,773 |
3,485 |
2,006 |
|
Liver abscess |
21 |
20 |
16 |
15 |
16 |
7 |
|
Taeniasis |
3 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
--- |
--- |
|
Ascariasis |
522 |
555 |
378 |
311 |
578 |
141 |
|
Oxyuriasis |
370 |
754 |
699 |
409 |
601 |
321 |
* Partial Year Statistics
Source: Tamaulipas Department of Health, Direct
communication, 2002
The proposed project
has been developed to address the above environmental issues. The project intends
to develop a series of tasks and programs in Matamoros with the following
general objectives:
·
Providing water
and wastewater collection services to 100% of the Matamoros population,
addressing primarily those areas that lack these services by constructing the
necessary water and wastewater infrastructure.
·
Improving the
city's image with efficient water, wastewater and rainwater collection and
treatment systems, developing new projects and refurbishing or replacing
existing facilities.
·
Treating wastewater
generated by the city to comply with Mexican Official Norm NOM-001-ECOL-1996.
·
Complying with
NOM-001-ECOL-1996 by submitting to CNA a schedule of actions and projects to be
developed for water discharge quality control.
· Complying with environment-related standards
and international agreements between Mexico and the United States.
2. Environmental Assessment. The environment in the area where the
Matamoros Project will be implemented has been completely altered from its
natural state, which originally consisted of pastureland and the area known as
the low deciduous thorn forest that is home to leguminous plants such as mesquite
and huizache. These alterations include the conditions described
below.
The city's urban area,
where the project is to be developed, has grown and thus, land use has been
modified primarily for residential and industrial purposes in addition to
public services and facilities in the city area. Likewise, the surrounding
areas have suffered alterations that, although not similar in type or magnitude
to those in the urban area, have indeed resulted in land use changes in areas
that were basically used for agricultural and cattle-raising purposes in the
past.
This transformation of
the natural environment system has developed in such a disorderly fashion that
it has resulted in other problems in addition to those directly related to
ecosystem changes. The most significant
problems, given its impact on the area, is the environmental contamination and
degradation that has resulted from untreated wastewater discharges into
open-air canals or drains.
As for air quality,
even though the government owns air quality monitoring equipment, the equipment
has not been installed due to the lack of trained personnel for its operation,
according to statements made by the municipal government. For that reason,
records are not available to assess air quality conditions. However, it is
believed that no serious air pollution problems exist.
The region's natural
flora has virtually disappeared from the city, as well as from the surrounding
areas, due to urban growth and land use changes for agricultural and
cattle-raising purposes. The existing flora in these areas consists of shrubs
and herbaceous plants that appear in abandoned tracts of land, especially those
designated for agricultural use.
With regards to the
fauna, reports indicate a large variety of species are native to the area where
the city of Matamoros is located; however, due to alterations to the natural
environment caused by the reasons described above, these species are hardly
found in the area, inasmuch as they have been displaced by urban developments
and have migrated to areas where they have a better possibility of preserving
their natural habitat.
Additionally, hazardous
waste generation in Matamoros is caused by solid waste from various human activities. Although a
sanitary landfill exists in the area, waste has been mismanaged, especially in
areas adjacent to the urban areas. In addition, the municipal government has stated
that the landfill capacity has been exceeded and as such, the mismanagement of
waste also causes contamination problems underground and the surrounding
environment.
A Regional
Environmental Impact Statement was developed using the Federal Format for the
Water Sector.
Furthermore, a
Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment was developed using the Terms of
Reference for Compliance with Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF)
Program Requirements.
3. Compliance with Applicable Environmental and
Cultural Resource Laws and Regulations.
Numerous federal, state
and local laws and regulations have been issued with the purpose of protecting
the country's environment.
These laws and
regulations are the framework for the different requirements that must be met
to obtain the required authorizations to implement the proposed tasks. The
project has been developed so as to have the appropriate technical elements to
obtain these authorizations. In the case of wastewater treatment, the facility
designs were developed to meet the limits contained in NOM-001-ECOL-1996.
Pursuant to the
provisions of the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental
Protection as to Environmental Impact Assessments, JAD developed a Regional
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as directed by the Delegate of the
Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Jorge
Cardenas-Gutierrez in Official Communication No. SGPA/03-403/02 of May 8, 2002.
The EIS has been
reviewed and approved by SEMARNAT as of
May 2, 2003.
Since some wastewater
collection and treatment tasks will be funded by the BEIF program, and a
Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment is required. This study was
reviewed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), which issued
the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on April 18, 2003.
In addition to the
above laws and regulations, and with the purpose of protecting the country's
historical heritage, a Finding of No Objection was requested from the [Mexican]
National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) for the development of
the project, as evidenced by Official Communication No. 322/02 issued on
September 5, 2002 by INAH's Directorate and signed by Nora Ahumada-Sánchez.
1.- Appropriate Technology
Solutions proposed for the Matamoros Project consider applications and operations similar to those currently in place, with a difference in that the use of more recent materials and procedures are being proposed. The project is not considering the use of sophisticated processes that could create dependency upon specialized suppliers or service providers.
Water
As mentioned in the demographic analysis, a
vigorous population growth is expected in Matamoros during the next 20 years.
This growth directly impacts on the demand for water services. Water demands
for the different project phases can be projected based on water consumption by
type of user. However, the population
projections used as the basis for estimating the demand level established by
Montgomery Watson must be assessed every three years to determine whether it
matches the original projection established by the HG Update, or a
technical analysis of population growth and related water demands needs to be
developed. Thus, in January 2003, CNA completed a technical analysis that
determined water demands for first three-year cycle of the project.
Once water demands for each period and sources
of water demand were established, JAD proceeded to develop a water model for
the system, which determined potential solutions to address the city's water
issues. To review the works
that comprise the first phase of the project, see Tables 2 and 3 located
in the first section of this document.
Raw Water
The
evaluation of the first phase identified the need for construction of an
emergency water storage facility with capacity of 110,000 m3. During
the subsequent phase, the project includes the construction of a new storage
facility to reach 1,300,000 m3 storage capacity by the year 2020.
Future tasks for raw
water conveyance include the construction of a 4,500 m. line similar to the
existing one, to convey raw water to the treatment plant.
Water Treatment Plants
To provide the amount
of potable water required by the population, and to assure the quality required
by standard NOM-127-SSA1-1994, the Matamoros Project proposes to expand and
improve Water Treatment Plant No. 2 to
reach a capacity of 1,000 l/s to meet water demands up to the year 2005. In the
second phase, the capacity of the facility will be expanded according to the
city's growth and available infrastructure. The rest of the water plants are
planned to be decommissioned once Water Treatment Plant #2 is fully operational
and able to provide services to the entire community.
As a result of the
studies, JAD decided to implement four types of improvements to the water
system.
1.
Addition of lines
to provide the system with versatility and allow for better interconnection,
improving thus the system's pressure level.
2.
Transmission
lines to supply water to projected elevated storage tanks.
3.
Expansion of
lines that require greater conveyance capacity to meet water demands.
4.
Rehabilitation of
lines with low pressures due to incrustation, and those that have water leaks
resulting from corrosion or other reasons.
Materials recommended
for these tasks include PVC for pipes smaller than 40 cm. in diameter, high
density polyethylene (HDP), or iron for 46-51 cm. pipes, and for diameters over
61 cm, lined iron pipes.
Pump Stations
Water
Plant #2 will require one or more high service pump stations to convey treated
water to elevated tanks and to distribution system lines. A high service pump
station, along with elevated tanks, will supply water to most of the city of
Matamoros to meet water demand during peak hours. Areas immediately adjacent to
WTP #2 will be supplied water directly from the facility's high service pump
station.
Water Storage
To meet water needs two
elevated tanks will be built during the first phase and four others will be
built during the subsequent phase. Each tank will have 3,600 m3 storage
capacity. The six elevated tanks have the same dimensions: 31 meter diameter,
33.5 meters height above ground level, and a 10 meter operating head.
Efficient Water Use
To reduce current water
losses of 37% to 22%, the project
proposes the implementation of the actions described below to meet the
objective within the timeframe of the
project.
Household Meter
Installation.- In order to create public awareness about rational water use,
the project proposes the installation of 100,000 meters, preferably during the
first phase of the project.
Improvements to water
treatment plant efficiency - during the
first phase, filter backwash water
reclamation systems will be constructed and internal water leaks will be
controlled.
Waterproofing in raw
water storage lagoons.- This action will reduce water losses due to water
infiltration to the ground in the storage lagoons site.
Rehabilitation of water
intakes.- This activity is targeted entirely on controlling losses in water intakes.
Wastewater Collection and Treatment
As a result of the
wastewater collection system modeling, the Matamoros Project incorporated the
rehabilitation of collapsed lines and system improvements and expansion. JAD
estimated wastewater flows in Matamoros during the various phases of the
project using a similar criterion to what was used for the water system,
including the analysis of treatment alternatives included in the Master Plan.
It must be highlighted that the size of wastewater collection lines and pump
stations was maintained pursuant to planning study, since the principal design
factor used in that document is rainwater flow into the wastewater collection
system, and the adjustment for sanitary wastewater does not reflect a
significant reduction in pumping capacity and pipe diameters.
Collector Systems
The water model used
for the system showed that most of the pipes are insufficient to convey the
flow required during rainy seasons. Pipes must be replaced with larger diameter
lines and with more inclined slopes. This requires approximately 94 km of pipes
between 20 and 152 cm in diameter, 6.9 km. of which will be installed during
the first phase.
In addition, wastewater
interception lines must be constructed to convey flows to wastewater treatment
plants proposed to be built during the first phase. Lines to supply the West
and East Wastewater Treatment Plants represent an additional 14 km of lines for
the east area and 21 km for the west area.
Additionally, plans
include wastewater collection lines to provide service to new areas during the
future phase. For this, the primary systems needs to be re-sized to accommodate the flows resulting from
these new developments, which represent increases due to the additional
population to be served. Approximately 50 km. of lines are required to provide
new wastewater collection infrastructure to new developments.
A very serious problem
in the city is the collapse of wastewater lines as a result of corrosion.
Therefore, the Matamoros Project proposes replacement of pipes that are in
critical structural condition. This includes replacing faulty lines with new
lines similar in diameter, unless greater capacity is required based on the
water analysis. The approximate amount of pipes to be replaced during the first
phase is 7 km with diameters that range from 20 to 91 cm. An estimation of
potential collapses was prepared based on a historical analysis of these
events, with the conclusion that 10 km of collectors need to be rehabilitated.
It must be noted that
to reduce the effects of corrosion on pipes, the project proposes using plastic
material for pipes up to 45 cm in diameter and anti-corrosion lining in
concrete pipes.
Pump Stations
The 21 existing pump
stations will be replaced with new stations with greater capacity. Sixteen
stations will be built during the first phase, ten of which are for the East side
of the City and six for the West side. During the second phase, the remaining
five pump stations will be replaced and twelve new pump stations will be built
in new development areas.
Wastewater Treatment Plants
In
order to use power efficiently and implement a simple wastewater treatment
system, the project proposes construction of wastewater treatment lagoon
systems to adequately manage the wastewater flows of the City. Appropriate
technology and efficient power use criteria established by BECC will be
applied.
From the evaluation of
alternatives proposed by the Master Plan and the comparative analysis of
population growth rates, JAD was able to establish design flows for each of the
wastewater treatment plants. Table 1 shows the treatment capacity for each of
the three facilities and the estimated year of construction. The facilities
will have 400 l/s treatment capacity during the first phase. It must be noted
that the construction of the West and South Treatment Plants will be undertaken
during the second phase, and their actual completion time will largely depend
on population growth and the availability of financial resources.
Rainwater Collection
Design flows for the
rainwater collection system were based on a storm episode of one-year and four months.
The Matamoros Project determined that the three areas with the highest flooding
rates should be evaluated to develop a proposed solution for the rainwater
collection problem in such areas. These areas are Buena Vista, San Francisco
and Ciudad Industrial.
The Matamoros Project
considers as a future project the construction of pump stations in these areas
to mitigate frequent flooding problems.
2. Operation and Maintenance
Once the water,
wastewater collection and treatment systems of Matamoros are improved and
expanded, they will add to the existing JAD operational requirements. However,
facilities currently operated by JAD are similar to those proposed under the
project. Only in the case of wastewater treatment plants, does JAD not have
appropriately trained staff to operate the facilities. For this particular
case, the project proposes to include training and joint operation with the
contractor during the construction
period to enable operators to become familiar with O&M requirements through hands-on training programs. For the
rest of the facilities, best operation and maintenance practices will be
implemented and the staff will be trained to implement new facility operation
practices and preventive maintenance programs. These programs are currently limited due to financial and
structural constraints.
3. Compliance with Applicable Design Norms and
Regulations
The project technical
engineering designs conform to design criteria and recommendations issued by
CNA and, in the case of projects not yet developed, will comply with these same
guidelines in addition to conforming to all applicable standards related to
water, wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure design. It must be
mentioned that the ultimate objective of the proposed works is to meet the
water quality standards specified in the Official Norms listed below (to
mention only some of the most important ones):
Official
Mexican Norm NOM-001-ECOL-1996, which establishes maximum permissible levels for
contaminants in wastewaters discharged into national waters and properties.
Official
Mexican Norm NOM-002-ECOL-1996,
which establishes maximum permissible levels for contaminants in wastewaters
discharged into urban or municipal wastewater collection systems
Official Mexican Norm NOM-003-ECOL-1997, which establishes maximum permissible levels for
contaminants in treated wastewater used in public services.
Official Mexican Norm NOM-127-SSA1-1994, "Environmental health, water for human use and consumption permissible quality limits and treatments required for water treatment."
Financial Feasibility and Project Management
1. Financial Feasibility. The financial feasibility analysis was concluded to determine the estimated cost and financial structure of the project, as summarized below:
Table 5
Cost Estimation
|
Item |
Amount (Thousand Pesos) |
||
|
|
|
Wastewater Pump stations and collectors |
234,000 |
|
|
|
Decommissioning the Ocampo Collector |
15,000 |
|
|
|
Repairing "collapses" Wastewater treatment plant |
38,000 58,000 |
|
|
|
Vactor
equipment |
5,000 |
|
|
|
Elevated storage tanks |
73,000 |
|
|
|
Rehabilitating Water Treatment Plant #2 |
14,000 |
|
|
|
Expanding water pump stations |
23,000 |
|
|
|
Disinfection systems |
2,000 |
|
|
|
Household metering |
120,000 |
|
|
|
Establishment of sectors |
15,000 |
|
|
|
By-pass |
3,000 |
|
|
|
Water storage lagoon (110,000m3) |
19,000 |
|
|
|
Transmission lines |
47,000 |
|
|
|
Institutional capacity building |
14,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
$680,000 |
2.
Financial structure. A summary of the financial structure
proposed by the project is illustrated in the following table.
Table 6
Financial structure
|
Funding Source |
Amount (Thousand Pesos) |
% |
|
CNA (Grant) |
125,000 |
18.4 |
|
State of Tamaulipas
(Grant) |
62,500 |
9.2 |
|
City of Matamoros (Grant) |
31,250 |
4.6 |
|
JAD [W and WW Utility]
(operating funds) |
31,250 |
4.6 |
|
NADB - LIRF (loan) |
100,000 |
14.7 |
|
NADB - BEIF(Construction
Grant) |
330,000 |
48.5 |
|
Subtotal |
$680,000 |
100% |
|
Works funded by Mexico
(CNA) |
80,000 |
|
|
BECC PDAP (Grant) |
600 |
|
|
Total |
$ 760,600 |
|
Rate Model: The municipality of Matamoros, Tamps, will authorize a rate to construct the infrastructure, operate and maintain it. The rates were estimated based on the populations income. The rates are presented in the following table. The rate/fee model was developed by North American Development Bank.
Table 7
Rate Model
|
Year |
Rate $Mx/Cubic Meter |
Average Bill $Mx/Month |
Increase |
|
2002 |
4.21 |
102.3 |
|
|
2003 |
6.32 |
153.5 |
50% |
|
2004 |
9.10 |
221.1 |
44% |
|
2005 |
9.10 |
221.1 |
0% |
|
2006 |
9.10 |
221.1 |
0% |
|
2007 |
9.10 |
221.1 |
0% |
The project will have a grant component from the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF). If no BEIF Assistance is provided to the project and assuming 100% loan component, the rates would be the double.
3. Project Management. The project will be management by Junta de Agua y Drenaje de Matamoros (JAD), who has adequate staff to manage the proposed infrastructure and address any potential emergency related to the operation and maintenance of the project.
Public Process Startup
This public process was formally initiated on
February 6, 2002, when Mr. Salvador Treviño, General Manager of the Junta de
Agua y Drenaje de Matamoros [Matamoros' Water and Wastewater Collection
Utility, the project applicant] was provided with BECC's Community
Participation Guide and other reference documents to start the public
participation process.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee
was established on September 4, 2002 at a meeting held in the Vitrales Room at
the Gran Hotel Residencial in Matamoros, attended by 75 people representing
local organizations, professional associations, academic institutions,
neighborhood organizations, community service clubs, businesses, etc. This
helped ensure an ample, plural and inclusive Steering Committee with a clear
idea of the community's most significant views. Steering Committee officials
were elected as follows: Chairman: Wenceslao Cantú-Cantú; Alternate: Francisco
Martínez-Carvajal; Alternate: Priest
Ruben Becerra-Ruiz.
Comprehensive Community Participation Plan
Based on previous work
meetings held with community members and representatives who later joined the
Steering Committee membership, JAD submitted a Comprehensive Community
Participation Plan to BECC for review. The plan was received by BECC on March
7, 2002 and approved on March 14, 2002.
Public Information
The Steering Committee
and JAD held more than 120 meetings with local organizations, distributed over
5,000 flyers and brochures, and attended numerous project presentations at
radio and television stations. The project documents were available to the
community for review at the office of the Junta de Agua y Drenaje de Matamoros. Efforts by the Steering Committee and JAD
have been constant and fruitful for community outreach purposes.
Public Meetings:
First Public Meeting: This meeting was held on October 7, 20002 at
the "Mundo Nuevo" Convention Center in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and was
attended by more than 400 people, 57% of which were women. This showed the high
degree of female participation in the community's planning efforts. At this
meeting, JAD reported the project's technical scope, its location, the issues
it intends to address, and the approximate cost. The audience, by the intensity
and commitment of their participation, confirmed the community's concern to
address environmental issues. An exit poll was administered to 305 attendees,
and 98% of the interviewees expressed their support for the project.
Second Public Meeting: The second public meeting was held on April 10, 2003. This meeting was also held at the "Mundo Nuevo" Convention Center in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and 313 citizens registered in the sign up sheets. It is pertinent to mention that the Convention Centers capacity is for more than 500 people. The Convention Center was filled with very enthusiastic citizens, many of them standing meaning that more than 500 people attended this second public meeting.
The presence of Matamoros women in the 1rst public meeting was 57% of the total, for this 2nd public meeting this percentage increased to 71%, this confirmed what the 1rst meeting showed, the high degree of female participation in the community's planning efforts. JAD presented as a key issue for this meeting the project rates, additionally its location and technical information and the approximate cost of the project,.
After a very intensive question and answer session with the audience, an exit poll was applied to 210 attendees, 75% of them expressed their support for the project and the rates.
1.
Definition and Principles. The basic
principle for sustainable development considered by BECC is: Conservation
oriented social and economic development that emphasizes the protection and
sustainable use of resources, while addressing both current and future needs,
and present and future impacts of human actions. The Matamoros Project
includes among its objectives providing water, wastewater and wastewater
treatment. The project plans to provide these services to the entire population
during a 20-year project horizon, inasmuch as these services are currently
deficient and, in the case of wastewater collection, not all residents are
served. The city does not have wastewater treatment and this situation negatively
impacts on the environment and seriously limits the possibility of reusing
water that is so scarce in the Lower Rio Grande River watershed. This project
has goals for reducing water losses, encouraging rational water use, and
providing a certainty as to the availability of water for future growth.
Overall, the proposed project will promote
significant environment and natural resource conservation benefits, inasmuch as
the following feasible objectives have been established:
·
Improve Rio
Grande water collection and withdrawal efficiencies.
·
Optimize
distribution lines and reduce water losses.
·
Increase
household metering coverage to be able to bill and collect the actual amount of
water used up by residents and thus promote the rational use of water.
·
Increase
wastewater collection infrastructure to adequately convey raw water to the
treatment facility and treated water to the final discharge point.
·
Treat wastewater
generated by city residents. These will make additional volumes of treated
water available for industrial reuse and/or other uses.
·
Gradually but
significantly reduce raw water infiltration into the ground.
This project intends to
provide 100% water, wastewater collection and treatment coverage by the end of
the planning period, substantially improving the overall living conditions for
residents who currently lack these services, and opening up the possibility of
developing economic activities that may provide better opportunities for the
community.
In view of the above
considerations, the project conforms to BECC's sustainability principles.
2.
Institutional and Human Capacity Building
As
part of the Matamoros Project development, JAD identified activities and
actions in addition to the construction of infrastructure to enhance JAD's
institutional capacity.
·
Update and
upgrade the user registry and the commercial information system (computer
system) to improve billing and collection practices and reduce payment
delinquency.
·
Improve the
information control and follow-up process by designing and implementing
organization and procedure manuals in all the areas.
·
Improving the
processing of information generated by JAD through the purchase and
installation of adequate computer equipment, as well as developing and
implementing a comprehensive information system (computer system).
·
For the household
metering program the project proposes to set up an appropriate maintenance
shop. This action will promote rational water use.
·
Along with the
household meter installation program, billing and water use information from
different city areas will be correlated with water flows entering the
distribution system. This will enable the utility to identify and implement
actions to reduce water losses and unaccounted water volumes.
·
JAD's service
requires the use of machinery, equipment and vehicles that will be purchased as
part of this program, including automobiles, trucks and Vactor equipment.
·
The
implementation of several of the above actions, such as updating the user registry,
enhancing the billing system and installing household meters, will facilitate
the task of identifying and eliminating illegal connections.
·
JAD has developed
a water culture campaign that will be reinforced during the following years to
create public awareness as to the importance of saving and making rational use
of water.
·
Infrastructure
growth will clearly demand greater technical capabilities in JAD to efficiently
operate the system. Hence, the project has considered a staff training program
to operate the system in a more efficient manner. An option that has been
considered for training is one offered by NADB through the Utility Management
Institute (UMI). The above will be incorporated into a comprehensive human
resource development program.
·
JAD plans
development of safety procedures and practices to minimize the risk of
environmental contingencies related to chlorine gas leaks.
·
A quality
assurance and control program will be establish with the purpose of creating
quality criteria to operate the system under applicable quality procedures and
policies, as well as to establish criteria and standards for the design and
construction of new infrastructure.
·
Analyses of the
legal framework have been made to determine the actions to carry out the necessary
legal adjustments JAD's institutional capability.
·
A water quality
program has been proposed to enable JAD to establish operating procedures
oriented towards continuous improvement, increasing thus the utility's
technical capacity and providing more efficient and high quality services.
·
To carry out
these actions, JAD decided to update user fees, which are estimated to have a
100% increase by the year 2003. For subsequent years, user fees will be
reviewed every three-year period.
·
NADB has assisted
JAD through its Institutional Development Program (IDP) and will continue
providing support to the Matamoros Project with the development of tasks
related to updating the user registry, the rate/fee study, enhancing the
information system, developing the management and organization system, among
other issues.
·
NADB developed a
study to evaluate the user fee structure and create a tool with which JAD may
implement service charges appropriate to the financial conditions to operate,
maintain and increase the infrastructure, avoiding the risk of facing an
infrastructure backlog in the future.
An
important point that must be highlighted is the infrastructure's maintenance
and preservation. The project proposes the development of two types of
maintenance programs for the facility: preventive and corrective maintenance.
Additionally, the
training will include a contingency program for the system's construction,
start-up and operation phases, which will be provided in writing to all the
staff directly or indirectly involved in these activities. A safety program
will also be implemented and reinforced by the provision of an appropriate
number of quality equipment. The safety program will include enforcement of
construction specifications, in addition to general procedures for operating
the equipment and facilities, including electrical installations.
3.
Conformance to Local and Regional Conservation and Development Plans
The
Matamoros Project conforms to BECC requirements and is based on the strategic
guidelines provided in the Municipal Urban Development Plan and on regional
conservation regulations and criteria.
The main objective is to improve the quality of life of Matamoros'
residents within a framework of harmonious and balanced integration of urban development and land management
planning. Policies and guidelines would relate to three fundamental issues:
growth, conservation, and improvement.
The Matamoros Project
conforms entirely to the city's urban development planning strategies, both for
its current needs as well as for future projected needs, and largely
contributes to achieving the objectives of improving the quality of life of
city residents. The project proposes urgent tasks to reduce the current backlog
and improve the conditions for people who already reside in the urban areas. In
addition, projects will be built that will enable the city to provide improved
living conditions for future generations. This is a significant contribution to
the sustainable development of Matamoros' urban area.
In the area of regional
planning, the project incorporates actions and tasks included in the PNH, such
as the implementation of projects and actions intended to reduce unaccounted
water losses and increase JAD's overall efficiency. The project is also
oriented towards reducing water contamination in the watershed considered by
the PNH to be a priority area by virtue of its being a binational watershed
with significant economic activity. The project meets the basic tenets of
policy guidelines proposed by the PNH. The
project focuses its efforts on development of the city of Matamoros within a
sustainability framework that considers water as a national security resource
and incorporates user participation in decision making processes, as the users
are the ones ultimately affected by the implementation of water related
policies.
4. Natural Resource Conservation
Proposals to improve
water infrastructure are oriented towards beneficial use of water through water
collection, storage and distribution improvements. One of the main objectives of the project is to promote the
rational use of water due to the scarcity of this vital liquid in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley region.
Additionally,
improvements in household metering and adjustments in user fees, as well as
public education campaigns to promote a better use of water, are intended to
reduce the daily per capita water consumption rate.
With the improvements
proposed for the wastewater collection and treatment system, effluent
discharges will have a higher quality before reaching their final destination
into natural water bodies, thus creating safer sanitary conditions for the
community. These same treated waters may be reused, primarily to irrigate
crops, including cotton, wheat, safflower, sorghum, corn, alfalfa, date palms,
and citric fruits. Reuse of water that replaces use of fresh water for other
activities also improves availability of fresh water for human consumption in
Matamoros.
The construction of the
collector system and the East Wastewater Treatment Plant will substantially
improve the quality of water that currently flows into the "La
Palangana" lagoon, thus contributing to improve the condition of a major
habitat for migratory birds.
5. Community Development
Expected results from
the implementation of the Matamoros Project, in addition to improving the
quality of water and the environment, will create favorable conditions for the
city's development, starting with the creation of new jobs for the
construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed projects. In addition,
the project will continue promoting the establishment of industries as has
happened in recent years, particularly maquiladoras [twin plants], creating a
source of economic and social development for the area.
Once the new facilities
begin operation, the need for specialized personnel will be greater, since it
will be important to have qualified operators. This will encourage the utility
to improve training the staff, including management, to build an adequate internal capacity to address most,
if not all, of the problems that may arise in relation to operation and
maintenance of the facilities.
Furthermore, by improving the quality of the region's bodies of water, such as the Rio Grande River and nearby lagoons, these water bodies will become major recreational sites for residents and will also advance the urban development planned for Matamoros.
·
Certification Document