By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva toured the Nogales Wash on Monday, July 27, following heavy rains and storms more than a week ago that left hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors declared a countywide emergency in response to the flooding.
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The wall of the wash sustained breaks, and crews were on site Monday working on an emergency fix. Water flowing through the wash contains sewage, posing a public health risk, according to the reporter on scene.
Infrastructure issues span 15 years
The breaks are attributed to structural infrastructure issues with the wash that have persisted for 15 years and have been worsening. City and county leaders expressed concern about damage to the wash and surrounding streets, noting a 16-inch water line near the damaged area. The city described that line as older and less sturdy than newer water lines. If damaged, officials said it could require water to be shut off to the area.
International implications
The Nogales Wash runs north from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico into Nogales, Arizona before emptying into the Santa Cruz River. Officials said issues with the wash carry implications beyond the city and county level, potentially reaching an international scale.
Funding falls short of project cost
Grijalva said long-term solutions are needed but that funding is insufficient to cover the full scope of repairs.
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“Part of the problem is the project is gonna cost $30 million and they’re approved for ten,” Grijalva said. “And so the result is we’re gonna utilize a lot of the $10 million in whatever way makes sense which seems to be a lot of the band aids that you’re seeing — that’s the result of not having full funding and unfortunately, I don’t see that changing any time in the near future.”
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