La importancia del Rio Grande a la gente y los peligrosos de agua sucio

As growth and development continue, both in the LRGB and in the watersheds above Falcon and Amistad Reservoirs, the need for water treatment to maintain adequate water quality is pressing. On both sides of the border, many people live in substandard housing. Poor water quality and lack of sewage and potable water, especially in Mexico and the colonias in Texas, have been linked to gastrointestinal diseases such as shigellosis, hepatitis A, cholera, and possibly birth defects such as anencephaly (Finley 1993). Toxic discharges have been documented downstream from population centers in the Lower basin and are most prevalent near the maquiladora industrial parks (assembly plants) (IBWC 1994; TNRCC 1994). As a result of the NAFTA Treaty and the environmental companion agreements between Mexico and the United States, construction of new water treatment facilities has received much attention in recent years. Important treatment plants are coming on line or are in the planning stage. EPA has invested much effort, including substantial financial funds, in helping Mexico to end conditions under which waste water from border communities is released with no or minimal treatment into the Rio Grande. EPA officials predict that most communities will be served by modern treatment facilities by 2010. To date, the two national as well as the various state governments in the region, have not given similar attention to the issue of secure water supply. We believe that this will become a critical concern in the LRGB in the next few years. If the current severe, prolonged drought continues, this may happen even faster.

http://www.harc.edu/Projects/Archive/RioGrandeBravo/Overview/