House Republicans released a funding plan that would cut construction appropriations in half from $156 million to $78 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) according to a GOP-led stopgap funding bill.
However, according to Rep. Scott Peters, D-California, the cuts would only affect the agency’s regular operating budget – not the $650 million to repair and expand the South Bay wastewater plant that treats sewage from Mexico.
The proposed cut is part of a bill released for the remainder of the fiscal year 2025.
The IBWC operates the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) and has been in need of rehabilitation and expansion for the last several years. The plant treats raw sewage and pollutants that flow into San Diego from Tijuana but is unable to treat all the effluent, leaving millions of gallons of untreated water to flow into the ocean.
Years of underfunding got us to the point that our wastewater treatment plant was dilapidated, allowing sewage to flow through our communities and onto our beaches unabated … I will not vote for legislation that will put us back in this position again or delay the necessary work to fix the problem.
Representative Scott Peters, D-California
“Years of underfunding got us to the point that our wastewater treatment plant was dilapidated, allowing sewage to flow through our communities and onto our beaches unabated,” said Peters. “I will not vote for legislation that will put us back in this position again or delay the necessary work to fix the problem.”
In December, President Biden signed a bill that allowed for an additional $250 million in funding, topping off the total amount at $650 million needed for upgrades at the treatment plant.
A 2024 appropriations bill originally contained $156 million for IBWC water quality projects.
Although that amount is proposed to be cut in half, the $650 million emergency for the South Bay plant remains intact, according to a statement released by Peters’ office on Mar. 10.
“It was disappointing to see our construction budget cut in half from the original suggested budget that came from the House and Senate in the last Congress,” IBWC U.S. Commissioner Dr. Maria Elena Giner said. “Regardless of what happens, the USIBWC will continue to work hard to protect the health and welfare of communities along the U.S.-Mexico border.”
H.R. 5903
Meanwhile, Peters introduced legislation to authorize the IBWC to accept funding from federal and non-federal entities for wastewater treatment, flood control projects and other water conservation efforts.
An increase in funding resources would help strengthen coordination between local, federal and binational agencies, in addition to helping maintain the treatment plant, according to the statement released by his office.
“This legislation will help ensure funding is available for the urgent rehabilitation, expansion and operation of the IBWC’s South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant,” stated Coronado Mayor John Duncan. “Our community will benefit immensely from the completion of this critical work necessary to remedy the ongoing environmental and health crisis.”
Peters said the IBWC is almost solely relying on appropriations from Congress, or emergency funding, to build and maintain its facilities.
The bipartisan legislation would allow federal and non-federal entities to provide up to $5 million for flood control infrastructure.
“Additional funding pathways for the IBWC provides the flexibility we need to better invest in the long-term health and well-being of our region,” Peters said.
