Border Environment Cooperation Commission
Construction of
a Wastewater Collection System in El Sasabe, Sonora
General Criteria
Human health and Environment
Technical Feasibility
Financial Feasibility
Public Participation
Sustainable Development
Environmental Assessment
FNSI
1.
Type
of Project. The project consists of the construction
of a wastewater collection system.
2.
Location of Project. The Community of El
Sasabe is located in the Municipality of Saric, Sonora. El Sasabe is located 305
km north of Hermosillo, the State Capital and approximately 120 km from Tucson,
Arizona. Also, El Sasabe, Arizona is located across the border from El Sasabe,
Sonora. The project is located within the 100 km border region as defined by
the La Paz agreement. The population is estimated at 1,081 residents and is
expected to increase to 1,430 by the year 2020. The Community of El Sasabe is
shown in the figure below:
Description
of Project and Tasks. The
project considers the installation of approximately 9,333 m of sewer lines, a
473 m outfall, a 1,407 m collector, 184 manholes, and 310 house connections.
Compliance
with International Treaties and Agreements. There are
no international water treaties or agreements in place between Sasabe,
Arizona and Sasabe, Sonora regarding wastewater discharge volume or quality.
1. Human Health/Environmental Needs. Currently, the town of El Sasabe does not
have a sewer collection system Households discharge their wastewater to
individual septic tanks. However, these septic tanks were not designed properly
and they overflow, especially during rain events. These raw wastewater
surcharges, flow through the city streets.
2. Environmental Assessment. An transboundary impact document was
prepared and submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX
for review. According to the EA, the project does not have any significant
environmental impacts. Based on this determination, the EPA issued a Finding of
No Significant Impact (FNSI) with a public comment period from February 12
until March 14, 2001. A Mexican Environmental Impact Document was
also prepared and submitted to the State of Sonora Department of Urban
Infrastructure and Ecology for approval. The determination of impact by the
State of Sonora was made on February of 2000.
3. Compliance with Ecology and Cultural Laws
and Regulations. EPA reviewed the EA and issued a FNSI for
the project. Also, the State of Sonora has made a determination of no impact
regarding the installation of the wastewater collection lines.
1. Appropriate Technology. The proposed
wastewater collection system adheres to the guidelines established by the
Mexican Water Commission.
Final design has been completed for the proposed
sewer lines. Overall, the project includes the construction of over 9,333
linear meters of sewer pipeline and 184 manholes. The project also contemplates
a 1,407 meter long main collector, and a 473 m long outfall.
A parallel project, though not part of the
certification is the construction of a lagoon based wastewater treatment plant.
The capacity of the treatment plant will be 0.061 MGD. The wastewater treatment
plant is currently under construction with a grant from the State of Sonora.
2. O&M Plan. The Commissariat of El Sasabe will receive
guidance from the Municipality of Saric for the operation and maintenance of
the system.
3. Compliance with applicable
design norms and regulations. The design of the facilities, completed
by the State of Sonora, was performed following common engineering practices
and reference manual. In particular, the wastewater pipeline design was
performed following CNA guidelines.
1.
Financial
Feasibility.
The
NADB is in the process of completing the financial analysis to determine the
funding structure of the project and the user rates to guarantee the financial
sustainability of the operating agency.
|
Estimated Cost
|
|
Concept
|
Amount (US$)
|
|
|
|
Sewer lines (including
manholes)
|
415,497
|
|
|
|
Wastewater collector
|
69,837
|
|
|
|
Outfall
House connections
Contingencies (15%)
Supervision (7%)
Tax (15%)
|
18,776
140,981
96,764
45,156
118,051
|
|
|
|
Total
|
$905,062
|
|
Current Water and Wastewater
Expenses (Annual)
|
|
Concept
|
Current (US$)
|
Projected(US$)
|
|
|
Combined Water and
Wastewater
|
$12,632
|
$25,762
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Financial Structure
|
Source
|
Amount (US$)
|
%
|
|
State of Sonora
|
$452,531
|
50
|
|
BEIF
|
$452,531
|
50
|
|
Total
|
$905,062
|
100%
|
2.
Rate
Model: The user fees for wastewater collection service
will be $100 per household per month and will increase according to the rate of
inflation.
|
SINGLE
FAMILY RATES (Pesos in real terms)
|
|
|
2000
|
2001
|
2002
|
|
Average Monthly Sewer and Water Bill
|
$35.00
|
$100.00
|
$100.00
|
|
|
2003
|
2004
|
2006
|
|
Average Monthly Sewer and
Water Bill
|
$100.00
|
$100.00
|
$100.00
|
3.
Project
Management. The established fee will allow the municipality
to maintain and operate the sewer collection system and wastewater treatment
plant, as well as establish reserves for any emergencies in the system. El
Sasabe has a public works department that will be able to bill the customers
for the service provided.
Comprehensive Public Participation Plan. The Public Participation Plan
was submitted to the BECC in September 1999. The plan was based on the BECC public
participation guidelines and includes the required criteria elements for
certification. Activities carried out thus far in fulfillment of the plan are
summarized below.
Steering
Committee:
The steering committee included Mr. Alejandro Leyva Rico, Mr. Eduardo Arredondo
Gortari, Mr. Francisco Isidro Villescas Coronado, Mr. Cecilio Leyva Durán, Mr.
Jaime Grijalva Moreno, and Mr. Pedro Nuñez Ramírez, all citizens of El Sasabe.
The committee was formed in August 1999.
Local Organizations: Prior to the first
BECC public meeting, a meeting was held with representatives from the local
government and members of the community at large. Also, at the end of
the meeting an opinion survey was done, finding that the members of the
community support the project extensively.
Public Information: The project information was made available to the public in the
local government offices. Also, the public meetings were advertised in the
State newspaper and flyers were distributed throughout the community.
Public Meetings: The BECC required public meetings were held on
October 13, 1999 and December 19, 1999 to present the technical aspects of the
project. A third meeting was held on January 30, 2001 to present the financial
aspects of the project. During this last meeting, all of the 37 people who
attended supported the project.
1. Definition and Principles. The project complies with BECCs definition of
Sustainable Development: An economic and social development based on
the conservation and protection of the environment and the rational use of
natural resources, but considering current and future needs, as well as present
and future impacts of human activities.
The
installation of a wastewater collection system
is centered on providing an improved quality of life for human beings.
The
project provides environmental protection by installing a wastewater collection
system and eliminating the use of faulty septic tanks.
Stakeholders
for this project include the Commisariat of El Sasabe, the Municipality of
Saric, the State Agency for Urban Infrastructure and Ecology, and the community
at large A Steering Committee comprising members of the general public was
formed for review and recommendations on the project.
2. Institutional and Human Capacity
Building. An aspect of this project that will build
institutional capacity is the creation of reserves for any potential
emergencies.
3. Conformance with Applicable
Local/Regional Conservation and Development Plans. The project was designed by the State Agency for
Urban Infrastructure and Ecology, and is part of the agencys priority
projects.
4. Natural Resource Conservation. This
project will likely create an incremental benefit preventing aquifer pollution
due to leaks in existing septic systems.
5.
Community
Development. Without the wastewater collection system, a
number of negative impacts to the community will continue, hindering community
development.