Border 2012 U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program

Improving Water Quality in Arizona-Sonora
August 2008

THE PURPOSE OF THIS INFORMATION Bulletin is to provide

residents of the Arizona-Sonora border region with news and
updates on the Border 2012 U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program. This edition focuses on projects of the Arizona-Sonora
Water Task force which is part of the Arizona-Sonora Regional
Workgroup. Activities under this workgroup strive to accomplish
Border 2012's mission of protecting the environment and public
health in the U.S.-Mexico border region, consistent with the principles of sustainable development. For more information on the
Border 2012 Program please visit www.epa.gov/Border2012.

Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
Supports Nogales, Sonora's
Pretreatment Program
Prepared by Hans Huth, Hydrologist IV, Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality, Office of Border Environmental Protection
Since the signing of the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico’s northern border region has experienced accelerated industrial and population growth. The city of
Nogales, Sonora, about 60 miles south of Tucson, is testament
to this growth.
Located in a relatively small watershed (68 km2), Nogales, Sonora has an estimated population of more than 300,000, and
continues to grow. Wastewater produced by Nogales, Sonora, is
gravity-fed to a binational wastewater conveyance known as the
International Outfall Interceptor (IOI). The IOI delivers wastewater
to the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant (NIWTP)
located in Rio Rico, Arizona, 6 miles north of the border. This
arrangement requires that Nogales, Sonora carefully monitor its
wastewater stream to ensure protection of binational wastewater
treatment infrastructure.
To control the quality of industrial and commercial discharges, the
Nogales, Sonora Potable Water and Wastewater Utility (OOMAPAS-NS) has established a municipal pretreatment program.
This program investigates sources of industrial contamination of
wastewater in Nogales, Sonora. This work relies heavily on laboratory support from the Arizona Department of Health Services
(ADHS). These data, while useful to OOMAPAS-NS, are not legally defensible in Mexico because the lab work is performed in
Arizona.
In February 2006, OOMAPAS-NS completed construction of a
water quality laboratory for preliminary analysis of wastewater.
Any ADEQ translation or communication in a language other than English is unofficial
and not binding on the State of Arizona.

Veronica Meranza and Selma Valenzuela from OOMAPAS-NS receive training
from a Perkins Elmer representative.

The laboratory was designed to provide a sanitary environment
for preliminary analyses of wastewater for priority dissolved metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni), and oil and grease, and
a location for storage and maintenance of sampling equipment.
OOMAPAS-NS invested more than $130,000 to develop this lab,
demonstrating its dedication to pretreatment efforts in Nogales,
Sonora. OOMAPAS-NS also received $60,000 in Border 2012
funding in order to purchase a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (flame-AA) for metals analysis.
OOMAPAS-NS has initiated the multiyear process of obtaining
Mexican federal certification in metals analysis for its laboratory.
Once certified, the laboratory will produce legally defensible water
quality analysis for the municipality, which will add legitimacy to
the pretreatment program. Legitimacy is important given the need
for the program to be recognized and respected by municipal
leaders as well as the regulated community.
In addition to financial leveraging this project has resulted in political leveraging as well. During a binational pretreatment meeting
in January 2008, OOMAPAS-NS announced that it had successfully implemented modifications to one of the State of Sonora’s
revenue laws. This law now allows OOMAPAS-NS to use revenue
generated through wastewater permit fees exclusively for its pretreatment program, specifically in the operation and maintenance
of its laboratory. The modifications also give the municipality the
legal authority to set permit limits on industries (“local limits”) more
in line with the needs of the NIWTP.

Printed on recycled paper

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Improving Water Quality in Arizona-Sonora

This will be the first certified laboratory located along the ArizonaSonora border. In addition to studying and investigating wastewater quality, the laboratory will be used for investigations of potable
water quality. Overall, this project demonstrates a key principle of
the Border 2012 Program: environmental improvements through
projects that leverage financial and political resources on both
sides of the border.

Actual BEIF participation will be considered on a project-by-project basis and will be determined according to funding availability
and based on an affordability analysis to be conducted by the
NADB during project development. BEIF will be made available to
the identified projects with completed final design, financing approval and certification by the joint BECC/NADB Board. Projects
identified for FY07-08 BEIF are expected to be completed within
a five-and-a-half year project life cycle including no more than two
years for project development and three years for construction.
In addition to the 31 project candidates for BEIF, ten (10) projects
have been selected to receive PDAP technical assistance funds
for project development activities leading to certification. These
additional 10 projects identified for PDAP technical assistance will
have two years to complete the project development process. If
future program funding is available or FY07-08 BEIF resources
exceed the needs of the 31 BEIF candidate projects, BEIF assistance may be extended to those projects selected for only PDAP
assistance. A list of projects identified to receive only PDAP assistance is also posted on the www.cocef.org site.
Next Prioritization Cycle
In August 2008, EPA and BECC plan to announce a solicitation
for proposals (RFP) for drinking and wastewater infrastructure
projects for the FY09-10 funding cycle. We encourage all potential project sponsors and other interested parties to look for the
RFP release.

Nogales, Sonora Pretreatment Program Headquarters and Laboratory

EPA Funding for U.S.-Mexico
Border Water Infrastructure
Projects: Current and Future
FY07-08 BEIF/PDAP Prioritization Process Results
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in co-

ordination with the Border Environment Cooperation Commission
(BECC) and the North American Development Bank (NADB) announces the results of the Fiscal Years (FY) 07-08 Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF)/Project Development Assistance
Program (PDAP) Prioritization Process for drinking water and
wastewater infrastructure projects.
Some 143 eligible projects were evaluated with an estimated financial need of nearly $600 million. Although each project addresses important environmental needs and merits further development, available EPA U.S.-Mexico Border Facilities Construction
Program funding was not sufficient to support all of these infrastructure project needs.
Based on available FY07-08 funds, candidates for BEIF and
PDAP assistance were identified from the Final FY07-08 BEIF/
PDAP Prioritization List. A total of thirty-one (31) projects have
been identified as candidates for FY07-08 BEIF. These 31 projects are also candidates to receive PDAP technical assistance
funds for project development activities. The list of candidates
selected for FY07-08 BEIF and PDAP funding can be viewed at
www.cocef.org.

Contacts

Websites

Arizona/Sonora Task Force
Co-Chairs

U.S. Epa Border 2012
Program

Linda Taunt
Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality
taunt.linda@azdeq.gov

Alternate:
Hans Huth
huth.hans@azdeq.gov
Martin Mexia
Comisión Estatal del Agua (CEA)
mmexia@coapaes.gob.mx

U.S. EPA Border Water
Coordinator
Douglas Liden
liden.douglas@epa.gov

www.epa.gov/Border2012

Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality
(ADEQ)
www.azdeq.gov

Secretariat For
Environment And Natural
Resources (SEMARNAT)
www.semarnat.gob.mx

Commission Of Ecology
And Sustainable
Development (CEDES)
www.cedes.gob.mx

Border Environment
Cooperation Comission
(BECC)
www.cocef.org

North American
Development Bank (NADB)
www.nadbank.org