The cleanup of the Tijuana River continues thanks to the efforts of both parties

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The United States and Mexico are accelerating plans to clean up the Tijuana River and considering temporary measures to protect public health, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said at a meeting in San Diego with local leaders and members of Congress last Thursday.

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

Sewage pollution from the transboundary river has plagued Imperial Beach, Coronado and other parts of south San Diego County for decades, nauseating swimmers and surfers, forcing local beach closures and jeopardizing Navy Seals training in Coronado.

As Tijuana’s population grew and treatment plants on both sides of the border failed, hundreds of millions of gallons of dirty sewage were dumped into the ocean. The polluted river also releases airborne chemicals, such as the smelly gas hydrogen sulfide, which causes respiratory problems and other diseases in neighboring communities.

After decades of neglect and worsening pollution, Mexican and US authorities have recently moved toward a solution. Last year, the two countries signed two more agreements detailing infrastructure improvements needed to control pollution. he the federal government has committed $653 million to the problem, according to Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, who called the Tijuana River pollution “the greatest environmental disaster on the American continent.”

Despite President Donald Trump’s cuts to other federal programs and his conflicts with California, money continues to flow to clean up the Tijuana River. Democrats and Republicans who met Thursday agreed on the urgency of the problem and the need for investment to solve it.

“No one is going to know what party we’re from if they’re listening to this conversation,” said Congressman Mike Levin, D-San Clemente and Carlsbad. “It’s unusual. It’s refreshing, but I think it’s also necessary to solve a problem of this magnitude.”

This year, the United States overhauled the deteriorating South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and expanded its capacity from 25 million to 35 million gallons of sewage per day. The next phase will increase the plant’s capacity to at least 50 million gallons per day.

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

More improvements will be rolled out soon, Zeldin said. One project under construction will prevent 5 million gallons of sewage a day from entering the Tijuana River, while another will divert 10 million gallons a day of treated sewage from the river, he added.

“There are several additional projects, half a dozen of which I have listed here, scheduled for completion in 2026,” Zeldin said. “Again, we’re monitoring them weekly. We’re confirming and checking that the work is progressing.”

Zeldin said he is working to ensure Mexico provides the promised money to clean up the Tijuana River’s wastewater, accelerate infrastructure upgrades and establish what he called a “100 percent permanent solution” to increase wastewater treatment capacity commensurate with Tijuana’s future growth needs.

“I’ve been there and I’ve seen real construction, and now I’m confident that if we keep up the pressure on our partners … we can get the reforms we need to keep our beaches open and keep our fur seals safe,” he said.

Officials acknowledged that upgrading wastewater treatment facilities will not immediately solve existing health problems caused by chronic air and water pollution, and said more funding is needed to keep the plants operating.

San Diego County distributed air purifiers to homes near the Tijuana River, launched a health study on the effects of the pollution and sought funds to renovate a site known as the Saturn Boulevard hotspot, where sewers dump polluted river water to release toxins into the air.

Zeldin said public health solutions are not part of the current package, but he would be happy to add them if Congress appropriates funds to do so. Levin, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he will seek input from local stakeholders on health care needs in communities near the Tijuana River.

“I am very open to any proposals for federal appropriations to address not only the current public health crisis, but also the damage done over the years,” Levin said.

Levine said he would also seek funding for the maintenance and operation of the expanded wastewater treatment plants. The initial designs covered construction costs but not running costs, which ultimately left the plants in bad shape, he explained.

“We will continue to work until the problem is solved, until the beaches are open, until our SEALs can train safely, and until our military, Border Patrol and everyone else in the community has to deal with water and air pollution,” Levin said. “This is vitally important to the quality of life for all San Diegans.”