What you need to know: The Tijuana River sewage crisis has been impacting communities for far too long, and Governor Newsom has pushed federal and international partners to fund repairs and complete infrastructure improvements to finally address this crisis.
October 29, 2024 - TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY – On Monday, Governor 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.
Working alongside federal, state, and local partners, Governor Newsom has helped secure critical funding and support to address cross-border pollution from the Tijuana River while holding authorities accountable to expedited timelines. With upgrades to facilities on both sides of the border, sewage flows are expected to be reduced by up to 90%.
“The Tijuana River sewage crisis has impacted our communities for far too long. 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.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
“Pollution in the Tijuana River Valley is the number one environmental health crisis impacting our region, and Governor Newsom coming to San Diego for today’s briefing shows his steadfast commitment to our communities,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas. “I have said time and again that the only way we will solve this crisis is by working together. Our collaboration with Governor Newsom, as well as our federal partners, is critically important. We’re working to put forward our best collective efforts to restore and protect our region.”
Addressing this decades-long crisis
Securing federal funding: In partnership with California’s congressional delegation and the Biden-Harris Administration, Governor Newsom helped secure $453 million in federal funding — $103 million this year and $350 million last year— for critical upgrades to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrades will significantly reduce the flow of untreated sewage into California’s coastal waters.
State investments to clean up the area, provide air filters to communities: Earlier this month, the County announced plans to purchase and distribute $2.7 million worth of air purifiers for local residents, which will be reimbursed by the state. Since 2019, California has allocated $35 million in state funding to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley and support cleanup efforts:
- $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.
Expedited timelines: Federal authorities committed to expediting construction timelines to more quickly repair infrastructure to mitigate sewage flows.
Public health and air quality monitoring: California public health officials have been working closely with local authorities to monitor air quality and support public health efforts to protect the community. The state helped get the CDC to deploy resources on the ground and assess public health conditions. The state has also supported the local air district on air monitoring, planning, and mitigation strategies to protect public health.
Water quality and timeline accountability: State authorities have been using enforcement tools to compel infrastructure improvements to the federal wastewater treatment plant, with the San Diego Water Board holding the federal facility to timelines for several repair and maintenance actions, including 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.
Continued federal and Mexico partnerships: The Governor has urged federal and Mexican partners to address this crisis. When Governor Newsom traveled to Mexico for President Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration, he discussed with Mexican authorities this crisis and repairing wastewater treatment facilities to prevent excess flows from reaching the U.S. During today’s visit, the Governor also met with Baja Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda. In February and October of this year, the Governor met with White House officials to push for action to address this crisis
Source: Office of the Governor
