San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 1, 2001 — The North American Development Bank (NADB) has authorized a second loan for $3.82 million to finance a portion of the Parallel System and San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant Rehabilitation and Expansion Project in Tijuana, Baja California.
The rehabilitation and expansion of the treatment plant, which had already received approval for a $2.5 million NADB construction loan, was delayed because of changes to the final design that will ultimately improve the quality of the treated water to be reused to irrigate parks and recreational areas, as well as for industrial purposes. The final design was completed in November 2000 at a revised cost of $6.9 million.
To cover the increased costs, the NADB has agreed to provide a second loan for $3.82 million, bringing its total loan participation in this project to $6.32 million. The remaining project funding will be contributed by the Tijuana state water utility, Comisi�n Estatal de Servicios P�blicos de Tijuana (CESPT), who is also serving as the project sponsor.
This project was certified by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) in 1997, and the parallel line system construction was completed in December 2000. Funding for this phase included a $16 million grant provided by the NADB through its EPA-funded Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF).
NADB Managing Director Raul Rodriguez stated, "The NADB's ultimate goal is to provide financing alternatives that will allow border communities to access affordable loans. This, in turn, supports and strengthens institutional development so that utility operations and services become more efficient."
Construction on the treatment plant project is set to begin this year with completion scheduled in November 2002. The expanded plant will have a treatment capacity of 25 million gallons per day (mgd), which together with the San Ysidro treatment plant, will provide the city with a total treatment capacity of 50.2 mgd, covering 93 percent of all the wastewater collected in the Tijuana sewer system.
The $27.43 million parallel system and treatment plant project is part of the city's 20-year master plan to maintain and increase water and wastewater service coverage, as well as provide for a healthier environment on both sides of the border by preventing sewage spills into the Tijuana River and ground and water supply contamination from leaks and filtration.
With this loan, the Bank has now approved $14.94 million in loans through its Loan and Guaranty Program for various communities to construct environmental infrastructure projects benefiting residents on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
