Feds advance plans to mitigate cross-border wastewater woes at San Diego–Tijuana border

Federal environmental and international boundary officials have come to an agreement aimed at improving a longstanding pollution crisis plaguing the San Diego–Tijuana border region.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. branch of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) announced on Monday that they had signed a record of decision finalizing the environmental review for transboundary pollution mitigation projects.

The agreement now allows the EPA and the IBWC — a U.S.-Mexican entity that oversees shared water resources — to move on to the design phase of specific sanitation initiatives included in previous negotiations.

The region has long been coping with cross-border wastewater woes, in which Tijuana’s sewage periodically ends up contaminating San Diego County’s beaches. Funneling the flow is the Tijuana River Watershed, which reenters the U.S. after spending time in Mexico.

While transboundary pollution in the watershed has become a chronic problem, the recent wet winter brought an intermittent influx of Tijuana sewage to the beaches of San Diego county.

“One of my priorities since becoming Commissioner is to ensure everything in USIBWC’s power is done to improve sanitation along the U.S.-Mexico border and reopen many of the California beaches that have been closed for far too long,” USIBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner said in a statement on Monday.

The projects in question are those outlined in binational Minute 328 — a binding agreement signed by the U.S. and Mexico last summer — as well as others detailed in a statement of intent from the EPA and Conagua, Mexico’s national water administrator.

Among the projects are the expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant on the U.S. side of the border, a new treatment plant in Tijuana and the repair of several sewage pipes in the city of Tijuana.

About $300 million has been appropriated by Congress to fund the plans, through the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to a joint announcement from the EPA and the USIBWC.

“EPA is working as quickly as possible to move into the design and construction phase of this critically needed infrastructure,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman.

“Today’s milestone is a key step towards controlling the transborder pollution that has long burdened communities in the region, on both sides of the border,” she added.

Earlier this month, Guzman and Giner joined Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) in a tour of the region, to evaluate the federal efforts focused on addressing the ongoing crisis.

At the time, Padilla discussed the health hazards and environmental threats that have moved across the border and into Californian backyards.

“This pollution continues to contaminate Southern California’s air and water, depriving communities of outdoor recreation and economic opportunities,” Padilla said in a statement. 

“It is critical that we build on the federal investments we secured last year in order to implement a comprehensive, long-term solution to improve sewage treatment in both San Diego County and Tijuana,” the senator added.