The New River is considered the most polluted river in the United States. It flows north from Mexicali, Mexico, and crosses the border at Calexico, California. New River toxicity is comprised of chemical runoff from farm industry, sewage,contaminants—such as volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, pesticides—pathogens like tuberculosis, hepatitis, and cholera—as well as fecal coliform bacteria, which at the border checkpoint far exceed U.S.-Mexico treaty limits. The New River then flows through the Imperial Valley, which is a major source of winter fruits and vegetables, cotton, and grain for both U.S. and international markets. While the Secure Fence Act of 2006 was enacted, according to President Bush, to “help protect the American people” from illegal immigration, drug smuggling and terrorism, the new river represents a far m11 ore dangerous flow north from Mexico in need of containment.

A wastewater treatment wall located in the 2-mile long wasteland that buffers the dense border city of Mexicali from the agricultural Eden of the Imperial Valley would offer a solution to the “illegal entry” of toxins to the U.S. The pollution problem is expected to worsen as Mexicali’s population—already at 1.3 million—continues to expand without adequate infrastructure. For $33 million, the same cost as the wall that divides Calexico and Mexicali, a treatment facility with the capacity to handle 20 million gallons/day of effluent from The New River could be constructed. This proposed facility would be comprised of a linear pond filtration and purification system creating a secure and invaluable border.

The positive by-product of the wastewater treatment facility includes methane and water. Methane could be used to generate electricity and light streets. The water could be used to irrigate parks. In fact, the combination of methane and water could fuel the needs for a linear urban park connecting the entire city through a series of lighted, green corridors, creating a healthy social infrastructure between these growing border cities.