On July 25, 2017, during an inspection of the International Outfall Interceptor (IOI), the City of Nogales public works reported a partial breach of the IOI approximately 200 yards north of the intersection of Old Tucson Rd. and the Nogales Wash.
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A dislodged section of cement that encases one of the manhole accesses to the IOI, partially sheared the pipe below the waterline causing discharge of untreated wastewater into the Nogales Wash. The location of the partial breach is in a sparsely populated area of the county.
Santa Cruz County Health Services is advising people who live in areas where there is water running in the wash and tributaries east of the Nogales Wash to keep out of those areas.
The Santa Cruz County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) has been partially activated to support the efforts of local authorities. Our number one priority is to ensure the health and safety of the people of Santa Cruz County and Arizona.
For years the people of Nogales, Arizona have begged Rep. Raul Grijalva and Sen. Jeff Flake to address their concerns about the IOI with little success.
The pipeline carries over 10 million gallons of raw sewage per day from Mexico to the United States. The pipeline that carries the water for treatment under an international treaty is the responsibility of the IBWC.
In 2014, Senator John McCain said a full breach of the sewage line has been posing a catastrophic threat to the public health and safety of Nogales residents and businesses.
It was not until March of 2017, that legislation was introduced in both houses of Congress to address the issue. The Nogales Wastewater Fairness Act would make the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission responsible for all capital costs associated with the sewer line. According to the congressional record, the bill was only “read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.” Representative Martha McSally introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Prior to this most recent breach, repairs to the 40 year old pipeline were expected to reach $40 million.
The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has responsibility for applying the boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico and settling differences that may arise in their application. The IBWC, established in 1889, is an international body composed of the United States Section and the Mexican Section, each headed by an Engineer-Commissioner appointed by his/her respective president. Each Section is administered independently of the other.
The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) is a federal government agency and is headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The IBWC operates under the foreign policy guidance of the Department of State. The Mexican Section is under the administrative supervision of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is headquartered in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.