International Infrastructure Issues Threaten Arizona鈥檚 Santa Cruz River
Why fixing a nine-mile sewage pipe is crucial for people and birds.
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(UPDATE 1/5/2024) On December 22, 2023, the Nogales Wastewater Improvement Act, sponsored by Arizona鈥檚 Sen. Sinema (I), Sen. Kelly (D), Rep. Grijalva (D), Rep. Gallego (D), and Rep. Ciscomani (R), became law as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2670). The bill transfers ownership, operation, and maintenance of the International Outfall Interceptor (IOI) to the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) and authorizes federal funding to allow for much needed repairs. 爆料公社 applauds the bipartisan and bicameral leadership on this legislation which has significant benefits for southern Arizona communities and the birds and wildlife that depend on the Upper Santa Cruz River.
(UPDATE 7/1/2020) Thanks to the financial contributions from international, state, local, and private organizations, there is now a path forward to preventing harmful discharges of pollutants associated with untreated wastewater into the Santa Cruz River and surrounding drainages. Officials from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) announced a settlement agreement to implement a comprehensive plan to mitigate future discharges of untreated wastewater into the Nogales Wash and Santa Cruz River in Nogales, Arizona. .
(UPDATE 6/11/2019) Senator McSally (R) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral , which would assist with the long-term maintenance issues related to the International Outfall Interceptor. In the , 爆料公社 Arizona Executive Director Sonia Perillo stated: 鈥淭he Upper Santa Cruz River supports a thriving riverside corridor and is designated an Important Bird Area. The area is recognized for the diversity of birds it supports, thanks mainly to the flowing river sustained by purified wastewater from both Mexico and the United States. We are grateful to Senator McSally for introducing this important legislation, and for the support of Senator Sinema, Representative Grijalva, and Representative Kirkpatrick. Their leadership on this legislation is important for southern Arizona communities, as well as for birds and other wildlife that depend on a healthy and flowing Santa Cruz River.鈥
(UPDATE 5/28/19) Arizona's 2019-2020 budget included more than $2.5 million dollars for the International Outfall Interceptor Project.
Between southern Arizona in the United States and northern Sonora in Mexico, there is a shared piece of infrastructure failing to do its job. The International Outfall Interceptor (IOI) is a massive pipe that carries wastewater (sewage) from Nogales, Sonora in Mexico and Nogales, Arizona in the United States to a wastewater treatment plant in Rio Rico, Arizona. There, the water is treated, purified, and put back into the Upper Santa Cruz River, which then flows 17 miles in a stretch that would normally run dry without the treated wastewater to sustain it.
The problem is that the nine-mile IOI pipe carrying raw sewage into Arizona for treatment and purification has far exceeded its engineered life and suffers from a backlog of critical maintenance. Pipe breaks are an all-too-regular occurrence, causing raw sewage spills that contaminate the local waterways and threaten the health of the environment and the nearby communities and industries. One event alone resulted in the release of approximately 27 million gallons of raw sewage.
Despite these challenges, the purified wastewater is critical for the river, the aquifer, and the habitat the water sustains. The . Thanks in large part to the river and its associated riparian habitat, Gray Hawk, Bell鈥檚 Vireo, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo thrive in this corridor. The flowing river is also a critical component to groundwater recharge in the Santa Cruz Active Management Area (an area whose groundwater use is regulated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources).
The city and surrounding area of Nogales in Sonora supplies more than 90 percent of the wastewater treated in Arizona. To ensure this water continues to flow into the United States and sustains the flow of the Santa Cruz River, the infrastructure must be fixed. Without repair, we will continue to experience contaminated flows or we may risk losing the flow of wastewater from Mexico altogether.
Thankfully, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, among other domestic and international stakeholders, are working to acquire funds to repair the IOI pipe. Repairs are estimated at $48 million in total, with $26 million needed to start the first few phases. Numerous public and private organizations have committed to contributing funds necessary to start the project; however, $2.5 million is still needed. The Arizona Legislature is currently considering , sponsored by State Senator Frank Pratt, R-8. If enacted, it would appropriate the final $2.5 million to this project and allow the International Boundary and Water Commission鈥攖he binational organization tasked with maintenance of the infrastructure鈥攖o begin work immediately.
In order to maintain a healthy and flowing Upper Santa Cruz River, this issue must be addressed. It has for far too long, putting public health and our environment at risk.
Additionally, Santa Cruz County鈥檚 waterways support a vibrant outdoor recreation economy: 爆料公社 Arizona recently released that found outdoor recreation along water , the smallest county in Arizona, generates $142 million dollars in economic output and support 1,600 jobs in the state. Birders, hikers, families, and the local community know that this is a gem in Arizona worth protecting.