Flood hazard: The system of drainage and collectors in Mazatlan about to collapse

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Tons of accumulated garbage and the unconsciousness of the people who lift the drain covers, increase the risks of clogging and flooding

Mazatlan, Sin.- Municipal authorities remain on alert for the effects of the first three heavy rains of the season , as these were about to collapse not only the collectors and rain grids, but also the pumping and netting chambers of the drainage system, all due to the accumulation of garbage and solid waste that the population throws into drains, canals, and streams of the city, as well as the unconsciousness of lifting the drainage covers, with the idea of ​​draining the liquid.

And although these three rains did not represent extraordinary levels in their rainfall, but were below the historical limits, with records of 47, 83 and 62.8 liters of water per square meter in a time of four hours, it was enough to put in check road traffic and plug ‘storm mouths (grilles), storm drains, sewer drains and streams, causing flooding of the lowlands for several hours.

The most affected areas have been El Toreo, El Cid, Sábalo Country, Centro, Alameda, San Jorge, Palos Prietos, Gabriel Leyva, Camarón Sábalo, Bahía or Paseo Mazatlán, Cruz Lizárraga, Insurgentes, Sábalo Cerritos, Reforma , German, Emilio Barragán and Belisario Domínguez.

Among the collectors that were about to collapse are the Roosevelt collector, in the center of the city; Hotel Hacienda pipeline, in Rio Fuerte towards the sea; Zona Dorada pipeline, Laguna street towards the sea; the grilles of Gabriel Leyva Avenue, between Calle Internacional and Pérez Arce; the drains of the San Jorge channel, the three channels that converge on the grids of El Cid and Toreo, and the drains of Marina El Cid.

To this is added that residents of the Juarez, Lomas de Juárez and Azteca colonies, raised the sewers of the sanitary drainage so that the water was released faster, which caused the saturation of the drainage network, putting at risk the pumping chamber located at the entrance of the Alfredo V. Bonfil industrial park.

If we saturate that drainage network with garbage, mud or anything, late that there will be serious repercussions early, what are the risks: that the sanitary drains begin to burst, even in the houses, something that did not happen before, that can be an effect

Civil Protection Coordinator, Eloy Ruiz Gastélum.

FOCUSED RAINS

The head of civil protection of the municipality, says that Mazatlan is entering a concept of a large city, where rains are no longer widespread when the copious water of a storm fell over the entire urban area, but now they are presented in a way sectorized and shows the three heavy rains this season.

The first was recorded on July 25, which mainly affected the north and north-west of the city, with the record of 47 millimeters of water representing 47 liters per square meter.

The second rain fell two days later, on July 27, with very different circumstances: first it rained in the central zone towards the south and south-east zone, then the water precipitated in the north zone and then in the rural zone, to end a generalized rain throughout the city, with a record of 83 millimeters of accumulated water, of which 75.9 fell in a single hour.

The most recent was last Wednesday, August 14 with a record of 62.8 millimeters of accumulated water corresponding to 62.8 liters per square meter, but like the first rain, rainfall was first felt on the western zone of the avenue International to the Malecon, and then there was a downpour with more intensity in the north and northeast.

10 years ago we had well located areas that were flooded, because there was a heavy rain throughout the city, but now it rains by sectors, the actions were for the entire city and now we cannot predict them. This I had not lived here, but in other cities, Mazatlan is entering a concept of big city, and the rains are presented in a sectorized way.

Ruiz Gastélum

EXCESS OF GARBAGE

Ruiz Gastélum believes that the number one factor in flooding risks in the city is the excess of garbage, not only in the volume of generation but inhabits and bad practices to give it a final destination.

We have about 700 thousand inhabitants, you could say that nothing happens if you throw a piece of paper, a cigarette butt, some potato wrap, a napkin; Maybe nothing happens at that time, but if we all throw a little piece of paper every day, we are throwing 700 thousand pieces of paper, and if we put the ones with the greatest volume or the smallest volume, we put an average weight: 200 grams, in 700 thousand are going to give you tons, which in the end that garbage is imperceptible to the naked eye, but when the rains come, everything that is not fixed to the ground is dragged by the current, and where it is going to accumulate, in the parts low, and will fall into the bodies of water.

Ruiz Gastélum

In the Jabalines stream, from Rinconada del Valle, Dona Chonita and Foresta, trash is still thrown away.

When falling to the bodies of water, the garbage clogs the grilles and the sewers, preventing the flow of the water, which causes the floods in the low zones.

If the papers are thrown in Lomas del Ébano, he explained, nothing will happen in that sector, but the runoff of the water when it rains, will take that garbage to the lower parts such as November 20, Villa Galaxia, Jacarandas, through the Jabalines stream until it flows into the estuary of Infiernillo.

If the garbage is left in Real del Valle, maybe nothing will happen there, but the flow of water will take it to the Francisco Villa, it will flow into El Toreo and El Cid, flooding the lower areas of that sector.

Also, if the piece of paper falls in Lomas de Mazatlan, its effect will be felt in the Golden Zone of the city.

He comments that one of the fundamental factors to minimize flood risks is to give the trash a correct final destination since many people are not careful to take out their garbage on the days and times when the collection truck passes.

The grilles are clogged by the trash that carries the water currents.

DRAINAGE SATURATION

Trash hauling and waste accumulation have not only clogged drains, canals, grilles, and sewers, but also generated conflicts in the collectors such as the Roosevelt, which is in the center of the city, and the pipelines with vent pumps of the Hotel Hacienda and the Golden Zone.

“It also generated problems in Bahías Avenue, in the grilles that are in Gabriel Leyva, between International and Pérez Arce streets, where the gas station is; in San Jorge it generated problems due to garbage accumulation, apart from the San Jorge drain; happening what is Hotel Marina El Cid, there are drains there, it was also clogged by garbage bags, which is the natural runoff of what is the northern part of the Sabalo Country subdivision and the northern part of El Cid, ”he added.

And the most serious thing is that some residents of the Juarez, Lomas de Juárez and Azteca colonies, in their desperation to vent the rainwater more quickly, opened the sewers of the sanitary sewer, putting at risk the nearest pumping chamber, which is the Bonfil park.

“We have to understand that the sewers are sanitary sewers, it is the city’s sanitary sewer network, where that black or gray water needs treatment to be able to be deposited to the final destination as any waste.”

Everything is seen in the garbage that drags the water to the Juarez bridge.

CASE THE TOREO

In the last rain, the most affected area was the El Toreo and El Cid subdivisions, since the rain focused on the north and north-east, draining much water through the three channels that flow into that urban sector.

Even neighbors of El Toreo came to think that the floodgates of El Cid were closed since the water level rose more than usual.

Eloy Ruiz Gastélum assures that the grids of El Cid were open as was found with photographs and videos that a neighbor took when Civil Protection elements took her to corroborate the situation.

He indicated that, on one side of the wall and on the other, that sector was flooded.

The Cid was also flooded, the only thing it does is to give security to the inhabitants that live inside, but it does not prevent the runoff of the water that is made through the channels, it does not limit it.

Eloy Ruiz

Remains of garbage even on the bridges of the canals remain after the rains.

He said that three channels converge in El Toreo: the one that descends from Rafael Buelna avenue and La Marina Avenue, passes through Sánchez Celis, Alameda, and part of what López Mateos is, and joins in what is the area of ​​El Toreo, Soriana Toreo, Jardín El Toreo, Toreo himself, and goes and flows into the Cetis 123 canal.

Another is the channel that runs from Pueblo Nuevo, part of the Sanchez Celis, part of the Francisco Villa which is the one along Francisco Solís Avenue, which captures all the runoff that comes from the Bicentennial side, all the Francisco Villa, Mangos 1 and 2, Puestas de Sol and converging to Cetis. And the third, the one that comes from the other end of Dorados de Villa.

“The tributary of water is too much, it is enough for everything to reach a last channel, the drainage of that channel is limited by its ability to vent,” he said.

The Civil Protection coordinator says he is convinced that the fundamental factor that will reduce flood risks will be to keep the city clean and give a good destination to the garbage.

Water pumps were affected by the accumulation of garbage.

THREE STRONG RAINS

JULY 25

Affected area: North and northeast of the city

Record: 47 millimeters of water

Corresponds to 47 liters of water per square meter

JULY 27TH

Affected area: Center and south-east, north and rural area.

Registration: 83 mm

Corresponds to 83 liters of water per square meter

AUGUST 14

Affected area: Light rain in the south and more intense in the north and northeast.

Registration: 62.8 mm

Corresponds to 62.8 liters of water per square meter

AREAS WITH MORE FLOODING

– Cruz Lizárraga Avenue on the section of Lola Beltrán Avenue to Elota River

– Insurgentes Avenue, from Laguna del Camarón to Reforma Avenue

-Automatic corridor of Reforma Avenue

– Camarón Sábalo, from Paseo Lomas to Luna Palace hotel

-Sábalo Cerritos, in the direction of the DIF camp

-Gabriel Leyva, in the access to Bonfil Park

COLLECTORS, DRAINS AND DUCTS AFFECTED

-Collector Roosevelt, in the city center

-Ducto Hotel Hacienda, in Rio Fuerte towards the sea

-Ducto Zona Dorada, Laguna street towards the sea

-Grids of Gabriel Leyva Avenue, between Calle Internacional and Pérez Arce

-Drains of the San Jorge channel.

-Channels that converge on the grids of El Cid and Toreo

-Drains by Marina El Cid

Source: el sol de mazatlan

The Mazatlan Post