The International Boundary and Water Commission is on track to finish its 100-day fast track plan to increase treatment of flows at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant from the current 25 million gallons of sewage per day (mgd) to 35 mgd, according to Mike Watson, senior vice president and director of design build at Stantec, the designer hired for the project.
Earlier this year, the IBWC started rehabilitating and expanding the treatment plant (SBIWTP) after finally getting the last funds needed from the Biden administration at the end of the year to start the project.
The plant in San Ysidro treats sewage up to 25 mgd coming from across the border in Tijuana, but has been in need of upping that capacity for years now.
The expanded facility will ultimately be able to treat 50 mgd of sewage, with a peak of 75 mgd if needed.
There is a lot of work to do … this is Mexico’s problem. It’s Mexico’s sewage that’s impacting you all, and it needs to be taken care of by the Mexicans. Our commitment is to keep working on that until it gets solved.
USIBWC Commissioner Chad McIntosh
“There is a lot of work to do … this is Mexico’s problem,” said Chad McIntosh, the U.S. commissioner of the IBWC at the meeting. “It’s Mexico’s sewage that’s impacting you all, and it needs to be taken care of by the Mexicans. Our commitment is to keep working on that until it gets solved.”
McIntosh also apologized several times for what the border communities have had to deal with.
“Again, I’m very sorry for the impacts you all have been experiencing. It’s unacceptable and we look forward to working with you all in getting these issues resolved,” McIntosh said.
Project engineers announced at the meeting that there would be two additional primary sedimentation tanks, 10 new secondary sedimentation tanks, seven new activated sludge tanks and a new high-capacity sludge dewatering and odor-control system, among other upgrades.
They also discussed their 100-day timeline, which started on May 20 and will end on Aug. 30.
By July, the delivery of major equipment will begin and a draft design memo should be completed. By mid-August, workers will be testing equipment and, within 100 days, increased flow into the treatment plant will begin.
Their goal for the 100 days is to add 10 mgd of treated flow, so up to 35 mgd, decrease dry-weather sewage flows in the Tijuana River and improve air and water quality.
The U.S. has also had help filtering wastewater because Mexico had fixed the Punta Bandera wastewater treatment plant on their side of the border at San Antonio de los Buenos.
Punta Bandera went online in April, but according to the IBWC, there have been no data updates yet of the functionality of the plant. However, it is supposed to be treating around 18 mgd of sewage.
“We’re on track,” said Watson. He said they had met with McIntosh to discuss how to accelerate the project and the equipment deliveries should be what’s needed to kickstart the project.
Eric Syverson, an Imperial Beach native who showed up to the meeting, passionately said that this was Mexico’s fault.
“We need to begin to talk about protecting ourselves instead of protecting Mexican interests,” Syverson said. “I’m tired of the Tijuana River Valley being unable to breathe. It is not our fault. Mexico is poisoning us.
“I am thankful the Trump administration has taken a hard line at the border, because any time there is a hard line at the border, there is less sewage.”
Phillip Musegaas, the executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper, combated that point of view and said he wanted to politely correct the record about this being all Mexico’s fault.
The plant is now more in compliance than they were before, but there is a long history of the IBWC letting the plant completely fall apart.
Phillip Musegaas, Executive Director of San Diego Coastkeeper
“IBWC, over the past five years at least and probably many years before that, was in significant noncompliance with this Clean Water Act discharge permit,” Musegaas said. “The plant is now more in compliance than they were before, but there is a long history of the IBWC letting the plant completely fall apart.”
