The sewage crisis at the US-Mexico border continues to generate serious repercussions on public health, the environment, the economy, and tourism.

Failures on hydric infrastructure and wastewater management have worsened the water crisis in Tijuana, reaching critical and dangerous levels. It not only affects the quality of life of residents, but directly affects tourism. For example, beaches at Imperial Beach in San Diego County have been closed due to high levels of fecal pollution.

This crisis has forced Mexico and the United States to seek joint solutions to manage the 27 million of daily gallons of sewage spilling into the ocean.

Sewage crisis, an urgent challenge for the cities of Tijuana and San Diego

Understanding Tijuana's sewage crisis requires a deep analysis. For starters, one cannot ignore the city's topographic conditions that represent a substantial challenge for human settlements.

A little bit of context: the city extends its urban landscape through unstable hillsides, which makes access to basic utilities such as potable water and sanitary sewage systems difficult. According to the documentary "Tijuana: Ciudad Séptica" (Tijuana: Septic City), one out of every six people live in vulnerable areas, facing highly unsafe conditions.

Many settlements are in difficult-to-reach areas such as hillsides, canyons, and lowlands close to the river. This unplanned urbanization has created a constant stream of polluted wastewater spilling uncontrolled into the Pacific Ocean.

In 1936, the Abelardo L. Rodríguez dam was built to capture rain, prevent flooding, and supply the growing population with potable water. However, problems persisted and from 1970 to 1976, measures were taken to relocate settlements located close to the city's downtown and the Tijuana River drainage pipes, which are still a problem to this day.

The information presented by the documentary ‘Tijuana: Ciudad Séptica’ shows that along the border line exists an established binational US-Mexico construction: a pumping station built to divert waters to the city's sewage system. Despite these efforts, a significant part continues to flow freely out of its reach.

The State Commission of Public Utilities of Tijuana (CESPT) is the agency in charge of treating wastewater and distributing potable water to the city. Despite this organization's efforts, the social and environmental cost of pollution continues to be high: sewage spills continue to directly negatively affect schools and communities and expose them to diseases.

Public health impact: Diseases and infections caused by pathogens

Pollution has increased enterococcus levels in the Pacific waters, a problem that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized as a serious health hazard. These pathogens can cause several different diseases such as skin, eye, ear, and airway infections.

Moreover, studies made by researchers of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography of UC San Diego have revealed that breathing near this contaminated seashore could be detrimental. During an investigation in 2022 at Imperial Beach, it was discovered that coastal waters are transferred to the atmosphere as marine aerosol, making this health public crisis even worse.

Prolonged exposure to these pollutants can increase the risk of serious diseases such as hepatitis A and cholera, especially for children and seniors, according to the scholarly information presented by "Tijuana: Ciudad Séptica".

Beaches unfit for recreation

Impact is not reserved only for health: the region's economy has also been seriously hampered. Beach pollution has discouraged tourism, so vital for the binational economic development.

The cost of not controlling these spills is high and though the coating of hillside and canyons is an urgent solution, it is also necessary to invest in disease spreading programs and periodic cleaning of canals. This has already cost the city more than 90 million pesos, according to the documentary "Tijuana: Ciudad Séptica".

The Tijuana river canal, far from being an attractive urban space, has become a symbol of pollution, affecting perception of public spaces and local beach safety in both Tijuana and San Diego.

A recent sample carried out by the Environmental Education Border Project (PFEA) has revealed the concerning situation at Playa Blanca, in southern Tijuana, where enterococcus levels have nearly reached 5,000 for every 100 milliliters of water. This data is alarming, considering that the limit established by Mexican authorities is only 200, which means that this contamination figure has increased by a factor of 25.

In June 2023, the State Commission of Protection Against Sanitary Risks in Baja California (COEPRIS) also reported high levels of pollution in this beach. As such, a sign reading "Precautionary closure due to sanitary risk" on the sand has been placed. However, this has not stopped people from visiting the beach and getting into the sea.

In addition, it is estimated that this year approximately 44 billion gallons of sewage spilled through the border and into San Diego County. This has intensified the need of bilateral cooperation and an urgent response, according to an article by El País.

Poor operation of treatment plants

One of the main culprits of this crisis is the poor operation of the San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant. Also known as Punta Bandera, this plant has been operating inadequately since 2015, spilling sewage into the sea at an alarming rate of 1,100 liters per second, according to data by the State Commission of Public Utilities of Tijuana (CESPT).

Treatment and drainage issues have also worsened this situation, considering that treated water spills into the Tijuana river and then mixes with contaminated wastewater, resulting in an inefficient treatment cycle and wasted resources.

On social media, it has been often reported that Cañón Los Laureles, which feeds the Tijuana river, carries a great amount of garbage, including tires and plastic, underscoring the urgent need to repair the wastewater treatment infrastructure in the border region.

Actions to face the sewage crisis at the border

Deu to the growing sewage crisis affecting the California and Baja California border region, both state governments have held meetings to discuss and propose solutions to this environmental problem.

Some of the strategics include projects to build new treatment plants and restoring already existing sanitation infrastructure.

Environmental organizations have suggested that a viable solution is to implement a water reuse system, given that the region faces growing water scarcity problems. This method would allow for water wasted from homes to be treated and returned as potable water, creating a closed circuit and minimizing pollution. However, this option would require significant investment in new infrastructure.

Collaboration between the governors of California and Baja California, Gavin Newsom and Marina del Pilar

During the last week of October, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, visited the wastewater treatment plants at the San Diego-Tijuana border.

Newsom toured the South Bay International plant, located in San Ysidro, where he would launch a time consuming effort to repair and expand the capacity of this facility, which has been insufficient to treat the sewage coming from Mexico.

Later, the governor went to the San Antonio de los Buenos plant in Baja California, also being restored after more than a decade of spilling millions of untreated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

"The Tijuana River sewage crisis has impacted our communities for far too long," Newsom said in a statement after his visit. "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."

Early this year, the US Congress approved 156 million dollars for construction projects throughout the border, including South Bay plant, a critical facility that has received scarce investment in the last decade.

Between 2010 and 2020, only 4 million dollars were allocated to this plant which is currently dealing with a maintenance deficit of at least 150 million dollars. In addition, Congress granted the International Boundary & Water Commission (IBWC) the capacity to accept funds from non-federal entities and local and state governments, which could make collaboration easier to help solve this crisis.

For her part, Baja Californian Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda said that the progress made at the San Antonio de los Buenos plant has cost 600 million pesos and it is already 92% complete.

"Due to the importance of this project, I visited President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to ask for financing, and he agreed to invest in federal resources. SEDENA is building this project because this saves time on bidding and supplies; plus, they work very fast," she said.

This facility will begin operations at the end of the year and will be able to treat and reuse up to 18 million gallons of wastewater every day.

"Today we are two countries, two states, working together for the common well-being of our people and our environment," Ávila said on social media, highlighting the binational collaboration taking place in this effort.

In addition, Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum visited this plant during its construction, underscoring her support to resolve this issue and give it the attention it deserves.

Though this wastewater treatment plant has not been working correctly since 2015, its prompt restoration will allow it to meet the environmental guidelines established by National and Binational Agreements regarding wastewater spills into bodies of water.

Governor Marina del Pilar explained that if the project had been bid, it could have taken 2 years or more to conclude. At the same time, SEDENA would have this plant in operation in just a few months.

Conclusions

The documentary "Tijuana: Ciudad Séptica" recommends several alternative environmental and public health options such as the afforestation of areas susceptible to erosion and the drainage construction for already existing spills. These ideas could help reduce pollution in soil, prevent bad odors, and decrease the spread of bacteria and viruses.

A proposal to prohibit land sales in areas where it is not possible for public water and drainage connections to be built has been made.

Lastly, it is essential for environmentally focused social organizations and government authorities from both sides of the border to join efforts to find long-term solutions. Only with a joint commitment can a more sustainable urban development and enhanced quality of life for this region's residents be guaranteed.

Photos by: CBS 8 San Diego

To learn more, visit CBS 8 San Diego's articles regarding this issue:

Imperial Beach residents plea to fix border sewage crisis

Water contact closures lifted in Imperial Beach

South Bay communities feeling the impact of sewage spilling into San Diego waters

Governor Marina del Pilar and California Governor Gavin Newsom supervise progress of wastewater treatment plant in Tijuana