Last Friday, the Federal Government committed an unprecedented $350 million to fix the Tijuana Sewage Crisis in San Diego County, an issue that has plagued the region for years, affecting the environment, public health, and quality of life for nearby residents. This welcome news comes after Governor Newsom, members of Congress, and other state and local leaders advocated for a coordinated effort to rehabilitate and expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Ysidro, according to the San Diego Regional Chamber.
This past Friday, the Federal Government committed $350 million towards fixing the Tijuana Sewage Crisis in San Diego County.🎊
— San Diego Regional Chamber (@SDChamber) September 5, 2023
The Chamber advocated for this and will continue to mitigate transboundary pollution for the safety and future of the Baja California region. pic.twitter.com/ppKO02wTbb
According to the Office of Governor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) have announced their commitment to commence the major rehabilitation and expansion of the treatment plant. The EPA will transfer about $350 million that had been appropriated for this project, while the IBWC has already initiated repairs resulting from damages caused by Tropical Storm Hilary.
These federal agencies also plan to begin a coordinated funding strategy to provide further resources needed to complete the project's expansion and address the situation. Expedited timelines will ensure the completion of these critical tasks, bringing relief to those living and working in regions ailing from the Tijuana Sewage Crisis.
As Governor Newsom stated, "This has been an issue that San Diego communities have dealt with for far too long. It's an important step forward that the work on this critical project will finally begin. The commitment from the EPA and IBWC brings hope for the improvement of public health, beach water quality, and wildlife habitat in the Tijuana-San Diego area.
In addition to the commitments announced for the South Bay Plant, several sanitation infrastructure projects will be completed in Mexico in advance of the expansion. The Mexican government is expecting to solicit a contract for the construction of a major new wastewater treatment plant at San Antonio de los Buenos in October, and it is also expected to finish repairing a major wastewater pipeline in November. The U.S. EPA and the Mexican government are completing jointly-financed repairs to major wastewater collectors in Tijuana.
