SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Sunland Park officials said Thursday that sewage that had reached city streets from Anapra, Chihuahua, has been cleaned up, but residents who attended a town hall said the issue has disrupted daily life and raised concerns about long-term impacts.<\/p>\n
The City of Sunland Park held the town hall Thursday evening at City Council Chambers to update residents on the response to the sewage spill and discuss work underway in the area.<\/p>\n
City Manager Mario Juarez-Infante said there is no longer sewage sitting in the streets.<\/p>\n
\u201cPresently, there\u2019s not any more sewer water in the streets,\u201d Juarez-Infante said. \u201cThat\u2019s been mitigated by CRRUA, which is our utility department here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Salas reports on Sunland Park officials outline response to sewage spill from Mexico (Credit: KFOX14)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Residents at the meeting said the issue has been difficult to live with, especially because of the smell.<\/p>\n
One resident compared the odor to \u201ca dirty porta potty that hasn\u2019t been picked up\u201d and said families have had to deal with the smell near homes and areas where children walk.<\/p>\n
The city said sewage from the Juarez neighborhood of Anapra reached residential areas near Anapra Road in Sunland Park.<\/p>\n
A major part of the meeting focused on the Carlos Aguirre Flood Control Project, which is already under construction.<\/p>\n
City documents show the project has a total budget of $3.85 million. The city said storm drain installation is about 80% complete, with final completion expected by the end of August.<\/p>\n
Juarez-Infante said the project is intended to help move stormwater out of the area and address long-running flooding issues. However, he said it will not fix the cross-border sewer overflow issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not going to address the combined sewer overflows,\u201d Juarez-Infante said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s very important for the public to be aware of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Juarez-Infante said the city believes the sewer overflow issue is connected to pressure on wastewater infrastructure in Mexico. He said the city has photos and drone video showing sewer systems overflowing through manholes, with wastewater then mixing with stormwater and moving toward Sunland Park.<\/p>\n
The city has laid out a five-year plan to look at how to address cross-border sewer flows.<\/p>\n
Juarez-Infante said the long-term solution would require coordination between agencies on both sides of the border, including local, county, state, federal and international partners.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe five-year plan is working with both sides,\u201d Juarez-Infante said. \u201cThe binational effort working at the local, county, state and federal level and looking for funding through NADBank and IBWC, the International Boundary and Water Commission, to be able to resolve the issues where they begin, which is Anapra, Mexico, and how we mitigate those on the U.S. side.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents also raised concerns about construction impacts, including accessibility and road closures in the area.<\/p>\n
One resident said she hopes the project brings the results the community has been waiting for, but said residents should not have to beg for basic infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very important for our community to stay informed,\u201d the resident said. \u201cAt the end of the day, we should not be begging.\u201d<\/p>\n
Juarez-Infante said some of the construction concerns residents brought up were issues he was not aware of. He said the city took down names and contact information and plans to follow up with residents before bringing those concerns to the construction management team and contractor.<\/p>\n
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