Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva Congratulates Yuma County on BECC funds for Colonia
Washington, D.C.— Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva welcomes the announcement of funds to help a local Yuma community support the development of much needed water and wastewater infrastructure studies.
The Border Environmental Corporation Commission (BECC) has announced they will provide $ 251,440 in technical assistance funds to help in the completion of a Design Concept Report (DCR) for the Avenue B & C Colonia.
This area is bounded by 1st and 8th Streets and Avenues B and C. The DCR will provide needed information for funding of the final project which is expected to provide basic public wastewater service to consumers in the colonia. Currently, about 92% of the residences in this colonia rely on septic tanks or cesspools. This can be environmentally hazardous and play a part in the degradation of the already impoverished area.
“Unfortunately, this is an area with substandard utilities resulting in deficient health and safety standards,” said Rep. Grijalva. “We welcome the BECC technical assistance which will help to navigate the future for this community. The need for a sanitary sewer system is great, and this takes the steps needed to help move this project forward.”
“As we continue moving further into this century, we must ensure that the wastewater infrastructure needs of our communities’ are not left behind,” stated BECC General Manager Daniel Chacon. “We are pleased to provide technical assistance to Yuma County to plan a solution to their wastewater problems. This in turn will make them eligible to access NADB grant funding as well as state and local sources to build their project. The health and environment of their community, the region and the State of Arizona will greatly benefit as a result”.
This DCR is necessary for the community to meet the requirements of all the potential Funding Agencies such as the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA), North American Development Bank (NADBank), and USDA- Rural Development.
