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B&C Colonia, Yuma County, Arizona: Wastewater Collection System
On this page:
- Project Location and Description
- Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
- Environmental Assessment
- Finding of No Significant Assessment
(Public comment period ended on October 21, 2006) - Contact Information
Project Location and Description
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering authorizing the award of a Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF) grant for the design and construction of a wastewater collection system to serve existing residents of the B&C Colonia in Yuma County, Arizona. The B&C Colonia collection lines will connect to the neighboring City of Yuma collection system and the wastewater will be treated at the Figueroa Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF), which currently serves both city and county customers.
B&C Colonia is located in Yuma County adjacent to the City of Yuma. The B&C Colonia is bounded by Avenue B on the east and Avenue C on the west; 1st Street on the north and 8th Street on the south. The area covers approximately 512 acres and includes 838 house lots. The City of Yuma's wastewater service area covers a portion of the Colonia and most of the land area around it. The City of Yuma's sewer coverage in the Colonia is currently only 8% of the total lots. The remaining 92% of the lots utilize septic systems and cesspools.
The proposed action consists of extending the wastewater collection system service to the B&C Colonia residents not currently within the City of Yuma service area. The project would involve the construction of a gravity collection system that would be connected to an existing receiving manhole. Wastewater from each house would be routed by gravity piping to main collection pipes along public rights of ways. The pipes would convey the flow, again by gravity, to an existing interceptor located along Avenue B and C. Three new lift stations would be constructed so that the required excavation depth of the gravity pipes could be minimized.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of the proposed action is to address the environmental and public health risks associated with inadequate collection, treatment and disposal of wastewater. The proposed action will protect public health by providing collection and treatment of wastewater for 4,978 residents of the B&C Colonia that lack access to these services. These residents currently use septic systems and cesspools for wastewater disposal, which has resulted in health and safety issues due to overflows, surface pooling and sewage backups in homes. House lot sizes and soil conditions that are not conducive to supporting on-site treatment systems, combined with a very high water table, present a strong need for the provision of a wastewater collection and conveyance system. The proposed action will eliminate the use of inadequate wastewater disposal practices by providing collection service and conveying flows to the wastewater treatment plant in Yuma, resulting in improved environmental and sanitation conditions.
EPA's involvement in the B&C Colonia, Yuma County, 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) 
and the North American Development Bank (NADBank) . 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) that analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action. After considering a wide range of regulatory, environmental (both natural and human) and socio-economic factors, the EA did not identify any significant impacts to the environment that would result from the implementation of the proposed wastewater collection system improvements. The EA and Finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) are being made available for public review for a 30-day comment period that ends on October 21, 2006. Interested persons, including those who disagree with his proposal, may submit written comments to EPA Region 9.
To view the EA or FNSI, please click on the links below.
- Environmental Assessment (PDF) (37 pp., 4.7M, About PDF)
- Figures (PDF) (5 pp., 3.5M, About PDF)
(Includes
Figure 1: Project Location Map
Figure 2: Project Area Map
Figure 3: Site Aerial Photograph
Figure 4: Alternative 2: Gravity and Lift Stations Collection
Figure 5: Alternative 3: Gravity and Lift Stations Collection) - Finding of No Significant Impact (PDF) (2 pp., 15 K, About PDF)
Contact Information
For further information about these documents, contact:
Susan Cox (cox.susan@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA Region 9 (WTR-4)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 972-3555
Fax: (415) 947-3537