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Storm water rushes north through the Nogales Wash on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 9.
Storm water rushes north through the Nogales Wash on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 9.
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State environmental authorities are advising the public to avoid contact with water in the Nogales Wash and Potrero Creek due to intermittent sewage overflows from Mexico.
The advisory issued Friday by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality also noted the potential for elevated levels of pollutants in the water due to storm runoff.
"Due to recent and ongoing monsoon activity there have been several instances of transboundary flows of surface water from Nogales, Sonora to Nogales, Ariz. Most of this flow is typical stormwater runoff," ADEQ said in a news release. "However, a portion of the flow is due to intermittent (sewage overflows), which occur in Nogales, Sonora when stormwater and debris overwhelm the local sanitary sewer."
The volume of wastewater that may have reached Santa Cruz County is unclear, ADEQ said, adding that the U.S. and Mexico sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) are in contact with the utility in Nogales, Sonora in regard to the problem.
Meanwhile, ADEQ is urging people to avoid local washes, especially during this period of "high-runoff storm events."
"This recommendation is based on potential health risks to people and animals from contact with typical storm runoff, which contains elevated levels of pollutants and the additional concerns posed by wastewater originating from the intermittent (sewage overflows)," it said.
Storm runoff and sewage wastewater both carry pathogens that pose a risk to human health and the environment, the agency said. See the sidebar for a list of recommended actions to minimize risk.
The problem of sewage from Nogales, Sonora flowing into Nogales, Ariz. is a regular occurrence.
In September 2020, ADEQ warned Nogales residents to avoid all contact with water in the Nogales Wash after an overflow in Nogales, Sonora sent about 2 million gallons per day of raw sewage into the north-flowing Nogales Wash. The problem, which was reportedly caused by a contractor removing a plug in a pipeline, lasted for several days .
In January 2019, ADEQ warned that sewage from Mexico had begun seeping into the Nogales Wash after pumps feeding the Los Alisos wastewater treatment plant in Nogales, Sonora failed. As the repairs dragged on, the problem lingered throughout much of the year, prompting more warnings from ADEQ and complaints from the Nogales, Ariz. municipal government.
There have also been ongoing problems east of Nogales , where wastewater from a pair of overburdened treatment plants at the Lomas de Anza housing development in Nogales, Sonora has seeped over the U.S. border at Oso Wash, also known as Brickwood Canyon.
Here's what the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is recommending in regard to the Nogales Wash and Potrero Creek:
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