Governor of California Gavin Newsom visited wastewater treatment facilities on both sides of the border to assess rehabilitation efforts and the ongoing sewage crisis, a long-standing environmental and public health issue.
The Governor worked alongside federal, state, and local partners to help secure funding and support to address cross-border pollution from the Tijuana River while holding authorities accountable to expedited timelines.
With upgraded facilities on both sides of the border, sewage flows are expected to be reduced by up to 90%, according to a press release.
“The Tijuana River sewage crisis has impacted our communities for far too long,” said Newsom in a press release. “Thanks to our partnership with international, federal, and local partners, we are making real progress. But our work is far from over – we need serious, continued action to protect public health and restore our environment.”
Federal funding
The state of California has secured a total of $453 million in federal funding. $103 million in funding was secured in 2024 with the remaining $350 million having been secured in 2023.
The funding is for critical upgrades to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Ysidro, which recently began upgrades.
These upgrades will help reduce the flow of untreated sewage into California’s coastal waters.
State investments to reduce pollution
Since 2019, the state of California has allocated $35 million in state funding to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
Cleanup efforts include the following:
- $1 million to fund Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team projects in the Tijuana River Valley.
- $9 million to operate and maintain Goat Canyon sediment and trash basins.
- $4.7 million to Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s Tijuana River Trash Boom pilot Project.
- $14.25 million for the Smuggler’s Gulch Improvement Project.
- $3.3 million for the Tijuana River Valley Habitat and Hydrology Restoration Project.
- $3 million to develop a model to forecast the presence of pathogens in San Diego coastal and tidal waters and help measure the effectiveness of potential projects in the Tijuana River Valley.
Timelines for cleanup
Federal authorities, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), have committed to expediting construction timelines to more quickly repair infrastructure to mitigate sewer flows.
The expedited construction includes a major rehabilitation and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Accountability
According to a press release, state authorities have been using enforcement tools to compel infrastructure improvements to the federal wastewater treatment plant, with San Diego Water Board holding the federal facility to timelines for several repaid and maintenance actions.
These actions include replacing and installing additional pumps, cleaning out sedimentation tanks, replacing a junction box and temporary influent pipe, and rehabilitating all mechanical parts for sedimentation tanks.
Federal and Mexico partnerships
Governor Newsom has urged federal and Mexican partners to address the sewage crisis. The Governor discussed with authorities about the crisis and repairing wastewater facilities while visiting the country for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration.
The Governor also met with White House officials to push for action to address the crisis.
