Background
Untreated wastewater (WW) discharges from the sewage system of city of Mexicali deteriorated the water quality of the New River. Due to farmer's opposition to a previous wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) site, alternatives sites were analyzed by the US‐Mexico Binational Committee to build the WWTP. The upgrade of Pump Station No. 4 (PB 4) and construction of the Mexicali II WWTP (first phase) to treat wastewater from the city's northeastern area was required. The WWTP site was located 26 km south of the new Pump Station in an uninhabited area. This project is referred to as Mexicali II.
Description
The purpose of the Project was to eliminate exposure to untreated WW discharges to the New River by expanding the wastewater treatment capacity, reducing groundwater pollution and the risk of waterborne diseases.
Benefits
This project consisted of the construction of Las Arenitas WWTP with a capacity of 20 MGD, upgrade of PB 4, as well as construction of 26.4 km force main pipeline and interconnection of major collectors to PB 4 that previously discharged raw WW to agricultural drains.
