1.
WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND OF THE BAJAGUA PROJECT?
2. WHAT IS TREATY MINUTE 283?
3. WHY DOES TREATY MINUTE 283
NEED TO BE AMENDED?
4. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE
TREATY NEGOTIATION?
5. WHAT IS SECTION 510 AND
HOW DOES IT HELP THE IBWC?
6. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BAJAGUA PROJECT
AND THE U.S. EPA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
7. WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MEXICO?
8. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE
LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
v IBWC?
9. ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES
TO RECLAIM WATER WITH THE BAJAGUA PROJECT?
10. WHAT IS RECLAIMED WATER
AND WHAT CAN IT BE USED FOR?
11. WHAT IS PROJECT SCHEDULE?
12. WHAT PRELIMINARY WORK
HAS BEEN DONE?
1. Q: WHAT IS THE STATUS OF
THE BAJAGUA PROJECT?
A: President Clinton signed Public Law 106-457
on November 7, 2001, after being passed unanimously by the U.S.
Congress. Title VIII of the law deals with the Bajagua Project
and requests the relevant U.S. agencies negotiate with their Mexican
counterparts to amend the governing Treaty Minute and complete
the construction of the secondary sewage treatment component of
the International Water Treatment Plant (IWTP) in Mexico. In 2003,
Congress unanimously reauthorized the law, which was signed by
Republican President George W. Bush. As a result, the US IBWC
and their counterparts in Mexico, CILA, have signed Minute 311
to officially recognize the public private partnership project,
known as Bajagua. Currently, formal discussions are taking place
between the United States and Mexico on the exact nature of the
contract, the location of the plant and the process for choosing
a preferred bidder. It is anticipated that the Request for Qualifications
will occur in late 2006 and the Request for Proposals to the short-listed
firms in early 2007. The current schedule has the Bajagua plant
up and running by the Court ordered deadline of September 2008.
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2. Q: WHAT ARE TREATY MINUTE
283 & 311?
A: Treaty Minutes 283 and 311 are sub-agreements
to a Treaty between the U.S. and
Mexico that sets forth the conceptual plan for solving wastewater
collection, treatment, and disposal issues on the U.S. –
Mexico border at San Diego. Minute 283 includes provisions for
the construction and operation of a 25-mgd secondary wastewater
treatment plant by the International Boundary and Water Commission
(IBWC). The advance primary treatment component has been built
and is operating. An ocean outfall has also been constructed to
convey and dispose of the treated effluent approximately 3 miles
offshore. Under Minute 283, Mexico has the responsibility to provide
for pre-treatment, dispose of the sludge generated by the IWTP
and contribute to funding the project. Treaty Minute 311 updates
Minute 283 and allows for the construction of a private treatment
plant in Tijuana at a capacity size of 59 mgd.
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3. Q: WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE BAJAGUA PROJECT AND THE U.S. EPA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
A: PL 106-457 directed the U.S. EPA to conduct a 24-month comprehensive
analysis of sewage treatment needs in the Tijuana region. The
intent of Congress was to determine whether the Bajagua Project
treatment capacity should be expanded from 50 mgd to 75 mgd. The
EPA hired a technical consultant to perform the analysis. The
plan assumed a 50 mgd capacity in place at the Bajagua Project.
The Bajagua Project initially designed conveyance and facilities
infrastructure at 75 mgd or more, in anticipation of the Plan’s
recommendations. Ultimately, the plan determined that the capacity
need for the City of Tijuana was 59 mgd. The EPA determined amount
has formed the basis for the latest version of the Bajagua Project.
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4. Q: WHAT
IS THE STATUS OF DISCUSSIONS WITH MEXICO?
A: From its inception, the Mexican government, at all levels,
has expressed their support for the Bajagua Project. The government
delayed formalizing support until the process and attendant legislation
was approved by the United States authorities. Since that time,
the IBWC and their counterparts in Mexico, CILA, have been informally
and formally negotiating the details to allow for the construction
of the project. The first act was the signing of Minute 311 between
the two countries. The second was the agreement to authorize the
Request for Qualifications process, which occurred in November
2006. The next steps include the finalization of the site acquisition
and land use process, as well as the short listing of qualified
firms to initiate the Request for Proposals, anticipated to occur
in early 2007.
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5. Q:
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
AND THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION v IBWC?
A: The parties agreed to a stipulated settlement which set forth
a set of milestones and a timeline for bringing the IWTP to compliance
with the Clean Water Act and California Ocean Plan. The IBWC is
proceeding with the development of the Bajagua Project, as the
preferred alternative under the latest EPA Record of Decision
adopted in 2003, in order to meet the settlement with the Court.
At this time, the project is proceeding on schedule, and all sides
anticipate the Bajagua plant to be up and running by September
2008 consistent with the consent decree.
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6. Q:
ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO RECLAIM WATER WITH THE BAJAGUA PROJECT?
A: Yes! The Bajagua Project envisions a reclaimed water component
to help supplement the region's critical water needs. The growth
projections for the Tijuana area are enormous and will place additional
strain on an already overburdened water system. Tijuana is expected
to add approximately 2.6 million people to the city in the next
20 years, which could result in increased water demand of 140,400
acre feet of water. Currently, the City of Tijuana uses approximately
65,000 acre-feet of water per year. Recent discussions on Colorado
River water allocation highlight the problem of water supply in
northern Baja California. The Bajagua Project, if built to treat
59 mgd of sewage, can provide in excess of 45,000 acre-feet of
reclaimed water per year to the City of Tijuana. This represents
approximately 70% of Tijuana's current usage. Because of this
significant benefit, the Mexican government, at all levels, has
supported the getting the Bajagua Project built immediately.
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7. Q: WHAT
IS RECLAIMED WATER AND WHAT CAN IT BE USED FOR?
A: Reclaimed water is wastewater that has been highly treated
for use as nonpotable (non-drinking) or potable purposes, which
includes industrial, some agricultural uses, landscaping irrigation,
such as along roads, in parks or for use with home landscaping,
and can potentially be used in ground water injection areas for
potential potable purposes, as is done in some jurisdictions in
the United States. The treatment level envisioned for the Bajagua
Project would create purified water that can be used in industrial
applications in the burgeoning maquiladora region. With advanced
treatment its purity can be higher than that of potable (drinkable)
water. As such, it can also potentially be used to recharge the
groundwater supply.
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8. Q: IS
THE PROJECT ON SCHEDULE?
A: The Bajagua Project should be completed by the Court ordered
deadline of September 2008. This schedule is in keeping with previous
statements about how quickly the project can be completed and
operational. When the DBO contract is awarded, the Bajagua Project
anticipates a 16- month construction schedule with operations
projected for September 2008.
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9. Q: WHAT PRELIMINARY WORK
HAS BEEN DONE?
A: For the last several years, the Bajagua Team is working with
the City of Tijuana, the State of Baja, California, and the Mexican
federal government to finalize the selection of the project site.
Preliminary engineering has been completed, and the formal bid
process is now commencing. The U.S. federal government is nearing
completion of it’s the contract negotiations. While this
has taken longer than anticipated, the timeline for the project
is still on track. Upon prompt resolution of procedural matters,
the Bajagua Project is poised to aggressively pursue construction
and operation under the terms of the consent decree.
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