EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – More than 900 Socorro, Texas residents for the first time will have access to municipal sewer lines, thanks to a grant from the North American Development Bank.
The grant “will allow residents to make major updates to their community’s waste management system” and help them prevent exposure to inadequately treated discharges, said U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who announced the $500,000 subvention.
The project consists of installing yard-line connections from homes in the Rosa Azul subdivision to a wastewater collection system served by the Lower Valley Water District in East El Paso County.
The 278 homes contemplated in the project will be able to decommission on-site septic tanks and other wastewater disposal systems once they hook up to the district’s network.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, septic tanks require regular maintenance and inspection else they’re prone to malfunction and even spillage during heavy rains or floods. Malfunction may include sink and toilets draining slowly and the unit floating out of position underground.
The city of Socorro experienced last experienced major flooding in 2017.
Socorro Mayor Ivy Avalos said she was aware of the grant and called it “Great news!” on a Facebook post she shared.
The mayor could not immediately say how many homes in Socorro – originally a farming community just east of El Paso – still have septic tanks. Socorro is a city of about 33,000 inhabitants.
The North American Development Bank was established by the governments of Mexico and the U.S. to fund infrastructure projects and provide technical assistance on both sides of the border.
