Health Problems along the

Laredo Border

These slides show conditions along the Laredo/Nuevo

Laredo border area from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.
They were used in presentations by Victor Oliveros,
Laredo Health Department, during that time period.
 Nuevo Laredo colonias
The demise of an active binational environmental health program, the
devaluation of the peso in the early 1980s , and a large increase in population on
both sides of the border led to deteriorating environment in both border cities.
 Cardboard Home
Squatters or “paracaidistas” build homes from whatever they are able to
find.
 Colonia Volutad y Trabajo – public water faucet
It is estimated that approximately 40,000 people live in “Cardboard
Town.” The water supply is very limited, perhaps with only a single faucet
in the middle of each block.
 Sewage in the streets of Rio Bravo, TX
Most colonia homes are not hooked up to sewer lines and sewage flows
freely in the streets toward the river.
Nuevo Laredo house by river south of Laredo
Community College
Other population centers have also been created by squatters – some on
the very banks of the river and again lacking basic facilities and in
generally the same condition as Cardboard Town.
Nuevo Laredo – view from mouth of Zacate Creek

Some of these population centers as well as the problems they

create are easily seen from the U.S. side of the border.
 Nuevo Laredo – sewage running over dump
site directly into the river
Sewage flows freely down the banks and solid waste is disposed of directly
into the river, contributing to an already serious problem of water
contamination in the Rio Grande.
Nuevo Laredo - Close up of river bend with garbage
floating south of Laredo Community College
Some of these slides were taken from a boat floating on the river, and even
though they may look pretty, in some cases resembling waterfalls, they are
not. While you can capture the sights you cannot captures the smells
emanating from them.
 Nuevo Laredo –
small sewage
outfall spilling into
the river
 Nuevo Laredo – man getting water from the river
to use for cooking and drinking
While a majority of homes have drinking water piped to their homes,
others use the river water. Increasing sewer lines will eliminate the need
for “pit privies,” but may actually worsen the problem as more sewage is
dumped directly into the river.
 With only two-thirds of its 350,000
inhabitants being served with sewer lines,
Nuevo Laredo discharges 24,000,000
gallons of raw sewage into the river daily
through 16 outlets. If the number of
sewer lines is increased, the raw sewage
discharge will increase.

Nuevo Laredo Colector las Americas

draining into the river
Nuevo Laredo – fecal matter floating on the river
by Colector las Americas
 Some of the discharges were located up-
river from the Nuevo Laredo water
treatment plan intake, thus adding
millions of gallons of contaminated
water to the Rio Grande prior to
treatment.

Nuevo Laredo – water plant intake south of

Laredo Community College and downtown Laredo
 Nuevo Laredo – sewage pond east of Nuevo
Laredo by Club Campestre; waterfowl flying,
sewage floating, dump on the right
Not all of the raw sewage is discharged directly into the river. Some runs
in the streets and collects in several ponds on the outskirts of Nuevo
Laredo.
 Nuevo Laredo sewage pond - east of Colonia
Infonavit – east of Nuevo Laredo by the river
At least one sewage pond (about 6 acres in size) is located immediately adjacent to
one of the most populous areas of Nuevo Laredo. An even larger pond is located in
the southern part of Nuevo Laredo near a rapidly growing commercial and
residential area.
 Nuevo Laredo - pig raising in a dump site next to
Club Campestre
Pepenadores (scavengers) have set up their homes on dump sites such as this one in the northwest
part of Nuevo Laredo and make their living sorting through salvageable garbage and breeding cattle,
goats, sheep, pigs, and chickens. The caretaker in this picture was killed a week later to steal his
watch.
 Laredo – waste tires, accumulation of trash,
potential dengue problem because of mosquito
breeding
Our border poses no barrier to the spread of disease or disease-carrying
vectors – animals, insects, and humans move with ease between Mexico
and the U.S.
 Laredo – colonia, dog loose during rabies
epidemic
The two Laredos form a community of nearly ½ million people. This is
the real dilemma of border “sister cities.” We are divided; yet we exist as
one community, estranged but dependent on one another.
International Bridge looking toward Nuevo Laredo
Time is running out, and we must do something about our future. Our
very lives depend on it. It is imperative that we formulate a strategy to
improve the health and well-being of the border region.