NADBank Implements 100-Day Plan to Improve Operations at OOMAPAS Nogales

The North American Development Bank (NADBank) and OOMAPAS Nogales, Sonora, the municipal water utility serving the city of Nogales, through the NADBank Flow technical assistance initiative, will implement a 100-day action plan aimed at improving the utility’s short-term operational performance.

NADBank Flow, an initiative carried out through NADBank’s Technical Assistance Program (TAP), seeks to optimize the performance of local water utilities in the border region using the World Bank’s Water Utility of the Future 4.0 methodology and strategic framework.

“We are very excited about NADBank Flow, a new initiative designed to strengthen water utilities throughout the border region,” said John Beckham, Managing Director of NADBank. “Our goal is to ensure they have the human capital, technical capabilities and infrastructure needed to continue providing reliable service to their communities and to help secure access to water.”

OOMAPAS Nogales and Nogales Mayor Juan Francisco Gim expressed their appreciation for the opportunity and, with NADBank’s technical assistance, committed to implementing a series of short-term priority actions over the next 100 days. During this period, the utility will receive virtual and, when necessary, on-site technical assistance from the Bank.

The 100-day plan includes measures to improve performance and efficiency in five key areas: Planning and Strategy, Commercial Management, Financial Management, Technical Operations and Human Resources. It also incorporates cross-cutting initiatives related to energy efficiency and non-revenue water.

Key actions include preparing a water supply and demand balance, designing a pilot metering program, assessing sludge management practices, establishing an energy efficiency baseline, segmenting customer accounts and defining differentiated collection strategies with social considerations, developing a financial transparency framework, and strengthening both water quality control and wastewater treatment processes.

These actions are particularly relevant given the water management challenges currently facing Nogales and other communities in Sonora. According to OOMAPAS Nogales, there are approximately 1,500 illegal water connections in the municipality. In addition, only 15% of the population currently receives continuous water service 24 hours a day, a figure that could decline to as little as 5% by 2027.

Implementation of the measures under NADBank Flow and the 100-day action plan is expected to be completed during the last week of December.