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Bisbee, AZ: Wastewater System Improvement Project

Project Location and Description

EPA is considering authorizing the award of a Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF) grant to the City of Bisbee for improvements to their wastewater collection system and replacement of their wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The proposed action is located within the City of Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona. Bisbee is located in southern Cochise County, approximately 4.0 mi (6.4 km,) north of the U.S./Mexico border, and serves as the county seat of Cochise County. The City is comprised of three distinct population centers: Old Bisbee, Warren, and San Jose.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

Presently the City is operating under a Consent Order issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to address substantial inflow/infiltration (I/I) and effluent quality issues with the existing wastewater collection and treatment system. Additionally, EPA has issued a Finding of Violation and Notice for Compliance to the City to address discharge permit violations. The City is served by a collection system that varies widely in age and condition, and the majority of the system in the Old Bisbee and Warren areas of the City experiences excessive inflow/Infiltration (I/I). The I/I condition results in sanitary sewer overflows and exceedance of treatment plant quantity and quality capacities, culminating in releases of raw or partially treated sewage to the environment. The City is proposing to repair approximately 112,000 linear feet of collection system, predominantly in the Old Bisbee and Warren areas of the City. Collection system improvements would involve either excavation replacement or internal rehabilitation. Where practical, internal rehabilitation methods are recommended for the repair of deteriorated sewers in the Old Bisbee portion of the City to minimize excavation and resultant impacts on historic features and commercial and tourism interests.

Wastewater treatment is conducted at three separate facilities, one for each of the three population centers. The treatment facilities vary in age and condition, and the City has difficulty maintaining compliance with permits and current regulatory standards. The City is therefore proposing that all wastewater flows from the City would be diverted to the San Jose WWTP. To treat this flow, an activated sludge WWTP with both nitrification and denitrification treatment would be built at the San Jose WWTP site, which would provide a quality effluent for surface disposal or reuse. The design capacity of the new treatment plant would be 0.82 million gallons per day (mgd). This new WWTP would be constructed on City property adjacent to the existing lagoons. Several secondary treatment alternatives are under consideration to provide wastewater treatment in accordance with Arizona Class B+ water quality standards for reuse and to satisfy NPDES permit requirements. Under Class B+ water quality effluent limitations, secondary treatment, disinfection and nitrogen removal are required. The majority of the wastewater from this plant would be used to irrigate the Turquoise Valley Golf Course. During periods of low irrigation needs, excess water would be placed into Greenbush Draw near the Naco Highway Bridge approximately 0.5 mile south of Purdy Lane.

EPA's involvement in the Bisbee, Arizona project is part of a national commitment to improve environmental conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border. EPA participates in the development and implementation of water supply and wastewater infrastructure projects in coordination with the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) Exiting EPA (disclaimer)and the North American Development Bank (NADBank)Exiting EPA (disclaimer). BECC is responsible for certifying projects so that they comply with sound technical, environmental, financial, and public participation principles. NADBank administers the BEIF grants for projects that have been certified by BECC and approved by EPA.

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), EPA has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) and a supplement to that EA that analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project. Based on a review of the EA and supplemental EA, EPA determined that the project will not have significant environmental impacts and has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). To view the EA and FONSI, please click on the links below.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Adobe Reader.

Contact Information

For further information about these documents, contact:

Doug Liden
 EPA Region 9 (WTR-4)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 972-3406
Fax: (415) 947-3537
E-mail: liden.douglas@epa.gov

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