EPA touts bipartisan efforts to clean up Tijuana River

The U.S. and Mexico are speeding up plans to clean the Tijuana River and considering interim steps to protect public health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said at a San Diego meeting with local leaders and Congress members last week.

“This is a nonpartisan, bipartisan effort to work together for a very common important good for millions of Americans who have been waiting for this relief for decades,” Zeldin said.

Sewage pollution from the cross-border river has plagued Imperial Beach, Coronado and other parts of southern San Diego County for decades, sickening swimmers and surfers, forcing the closure of local beaches and endangering Navy Seals who train in Coronado.

As the Tijuana population grew and wastewater plants on both sides of the border failed, hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage gushed into the ocean. The polluted river also emits airborne chemicals including foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes respiratory problems and other ailments among people in neighboring communities.

After decades of neglect and worsening pollution, Mexican and U.S. officials have made recent strides toward a solution. Last year the countries struck two more agreements that spell out the infrastructure upgrades needed to control pollution. The federal government has dedicated $653 million to the problem, said Rep. Scott Peters, a San Diego Democrat, who called Tijuana River pollution “the biggest environmental catastrophe in the Americas.”

Despite President Donald Trump’s cuts to other federal programs and his conflicts with California, money has continued to flow for Tijuana River cleanup. Democrats and Republicans who met Thursday said they agreed on the urgency of the problem and need for investments to solve it.

“You wouldn't know which party we all were part of based on our conversation,” said Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat who represents San Clemente and Carlsbad. “That's unusual. It's refreshing, but I think it's also necessary to solve a problem of this magnitude.”

What's happening now

This year the U.S. repaired the failing South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and expanded its capacity from 25 million to 35 million gallons of wastewater per day. The next phase will boost the plant’s capacity to at least 50 million gallons per day.

In April, Mexico repaired its Punta Bandera plant near the border, reducing sewage flows into the ocean.

More improvements are coming soon, Zeldin said. One project under construction will prevent 5 million gallons per day of sewage from entering the Tijuana River, while another would divert 10 million gallons per day of treated effluent from the river, he said.

“There are several additional projects, half a dozen I have listed here, scheduled for completion in 2026,” Zeldin said. “Again, we are monitoring it every week, throughout the week. We are confirming and verifying that this work is progressing.”

Zeldin said he’s working to make sure Mexico provides money it committed to cleaning up Tijuana River sewage, expedites infrastructure upgrades and establishes what he called a “permanent 100 solution” to increase wastewater capacity for future growth in Tijuana.

“I've been down and seen actual constructions, and I now am confident that if we continue to press our partners ... we'll be able to have the reforms that we need to keep our beaches open to keep our Navy Seals safe,” he said.

The long-term outlook

Officials acknowledged that improving sewage treatment facilities won’t immediately resolve existing health problems caused by chronic air and water pollution, and said more funding is needed to keep the plants in working order.

San Diego County has distributed air purifiers to households near the Tijuana River, is launching a health study on its effects and seeking funds to fix a site known as the Saturn Boulevard hot spot, where culverts churn polluted river water to release airborne toxins.

Zeldin said public health solutions aren’t part of the current package, but said he would be happy to add them if Congress devotes money to that purpose. Levin, who serves on the House Committee on Appropriations, said he’ll seek suggestions from local stakeholders about health needs in communities near the Tijuana River.

“I am very open to any and all suggestions around federal appropriations to deal, not only with the ongoing public health crisis, but also the damage that has been done in years past,” Levin said.

Levin said he’ll also seek money for maintenance and operations of the expanded sewage treatment plants. The original projects covered construction costs but not ongoing expenses, which eventually left the plants in disrepair, he said.

“We're going to keep at it until the problem is fixed, until the beaches are open, until our Seals can train safely and until our service members and border patrol and everyone else in the community doesn't have to deal with water pollution and air pollution,” Levin said. “It's just critically important for the quality of life for all San Diegans.”