The International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) reports that the flow in the Tijuana River is currently at 31 million gallons per day (MGD), with a seven-day average flow of 45 MGD. This flow is a mixture of wastewater, treated water, potable water and groundwater.
A photo of the Tijuana River on July 3, 2024, shows flows to the North and South borders.
The USIBWC is pushing Mexico to complete rehabilitation and upgrade projects on the International Collector and PB1 as quickly as possible in order to reduce transboundary flows. These projects are expected to be completed by September 2024.
Currently, the Tijuana River is flowing at a rate that is excessive for the capacity of the river’s wastewater treatment plant. As a result, less flow is being diverted from the river, which is contributing to the increase in transboundary flows.
The low flows at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) are due to the rehabilitation of a Primary Sedimentation Tanks (PST). The USIBWC expects to have three PSTs back online within the next one to two weeks.
The USIBWC is aware of the negative impacts that the continued transboundary flows are having on local communities. The Tijuana River’s rehabilitation project is an important step in addressing this issue.
This story was generated with assistance from an automated news reporting system and was reviewed by a member of our publication.
