The dilapidated South Bay sewage treatment plant, crucial to treating wastewater flows coming across the U.S.-Mexico border, now has an expedited timeline – an expansion that was scheduled to finish in two years, is now on track for completion in 100 days.
The United States International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC), along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced the fast-tracked expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant on May 20, noting that the strategy will deliver immediate results to reduce polluted river flows.
The plant’s capacity for treatment will increase from 25 to 35 million gallons per day.
“The USIBWC and EPA remain fully committed to accelerating infrastructure improvements and cross-border environmental solutions,” the joint-statement says. “This expansion is a major milestone, and both agencies will continue working to achieve a 100% solution to the Mexican sewage issues that have plagued the San Diego area for decades.”
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre said this accelerated timeline is “the most substantive promise for action we’ve seen to date from our federal government.”
Frank Fisher, the chief public affairs officer for the USIBWC, said the team in charge of the progressive design-build of the plant, including the USIBWC, the EPA and Veolia, is formulating the design of the fast-track expansion. He said the cost will be determined based on the design.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin visited San Diego to see the sewage crisis first-hand on April 21. During his visit, Zeldin said he was finalizing a comprehensive list of things that U.S. stakeholders consider necessary to end the crisis.
Zeldin announced on X on May 9 that the EPA transmitted to Mexico a proposed “100% solution” to permanently end the decades-old crisis.
Following that statement, in a House Appropriations Committee hearing on May 15, he said Mexico had not ratified the 100% solution but did agree to a lot of projects.
Zeldin did not specify what the proposed solutions entail or what Mexico has agreed to.
“Part of this is not only getting them [Mexico] on the same page with the 100% solution, but also pressure testing every single timeline to get everything done as quickly as we can,” Zeldin said at the House meeting. “…We’re looking forward to working with Mexico in the coming days and weeks.”
Zeldin added that if Mexico does not agree to all of the proposals, say only 80%, then other tactics are going to need to be used to get a 100% solution done. He did not specify what the tactics would be.
Imperial Beach leaders passed a resolution earlier in April urging the Trump administration to pressure Mexico into action by threatening to restrict commercial border traffic and withhold water exports to Tijuana. Coronado is considering a similar resolution.
