Sewage pipe from Mexico ruptures, contaminating Arizona water

Gov. Doug Ducey declares state of emergency after E. coli found in pipes along border

RIO RICO — A wash in Southern Arizona where an international sewage pipeline has spilled untreated wastewater has tested positive for excessive levels of E. coli, officials said Thursday. The public should stay out of the Nogales Wash and Santa Cruz River and that testing is ongoing, Santa Cruz county said in a news release. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality performed the tests. “Until there is more information about the extent of the situation, it is recommended not using water from the Santa Cruz River to water food crops or gardens. Livestock should not be in the river or drinking from it,” county health services director Jeff Terrell said in the news release.

Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday declared a state of emergency, saying he was allocating $200,000 from the general fund to help with repair management as the state’s congressional delegation put pressure on an international water commission to address the issue. But the International Boundary and Water Commission says it has not verified that there’s a leak and that the wastewater plant that the pipe leads to is receiving normal flows. […]

Full article: Sewage pipe from Mexico ruptures, contaminating Arizona water