Tornillo, Texas, USA
Tornillo, Texas, USAConstruction of the Wastewater System for El Paso County Tornillo Water Improvement District (EPCTWID) (Tornillo, Texas)
Project Status: Completed

General Information
Sector
Wastewater
Sponsor
Tornillo Water Supply Corporation
Benefited population
3,176
Certification date
September 25,2002
Financing
Project cost
US 21.77 million
NADBank Funds
US 1.92 million - NADBank Loan US 5.67 million - NADBank Grant: BEIF
Related documents
Background
Many of the existing sewage disposal systems in the unincorporated community of Tornillo did not comply with the El Paso County requirements for construction and operation of on- site sewage systems. These regulations prohibit the use of septic tank systems on lots of less than one-half acre in size, a common lot size in the Tornillo area. Over 80% of septic tanks were not registered with the county. Many of the homes in the older areas of Tornillo used cesspools, constructed of a cinder block or brick. A small percentage of homes disposed wastes directly onto the ground or into irrigation canals. On-site systems relying on soil absorption continually failed due to the characteristics of the soil and high groundwater table in some of the project areas accentuate the shortage of absorption capacity.
Description
The purpose of this project was to eliminate exposure to untreated or inadequately treated wastewater discharges in unserved areas through the construction of the wastewater collection system and a wastewater treatment plant, contributing to the reduction of water pollution and the risk of water-borne diseases.
Benefits
The project consists of the construction of the wastewater collection system and a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for un- served areas of the community of Tornillo. The WWTP consists of a secondary treatment process (activated sludge).