The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission plans to release in the next few weeks results of a new cleanup campaign that uses “ozone nanobubble technology” to remove contaminants from the Tijuana River.
The commission launched the 60-day pilot project on Sept. 9. It involves water treatment using Nano Bubble Ozone Technology (NBOT), or ultrafine microbubbles filled with ozone that when released into an environment break up toxic bonds and form new stable bonds within the environment where it is released.
A description of the project says the program implements Greenwater Services’s patented marine mobile nanobubble/ozone technology to determine its efficacy on the public health threat posed by airborne contaminants from the river. The agency says the process “does not produce any byproduct that could harm the environment or aquatic species” and “produces instant results.”
The IBWC, which identifies an urgency to use the technology in areas where Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection currently operate, says inaction could lead to regulatory action by state regulatory boards.
This remediation effort comes as the federal government shutdown halts operations at many U.S. facilities and services.
The agency confirmed the pilot project is still operating since the contract was awarded.
“There were a few days when the project was shut down due to heavy rain, but it has resumed operating,” said IBWC Public Affairs Officer Frank Fisher. “We will assess at the 30-day mark whether to move the project to the Saturn Boulevard ‘hot spot’ or keep it at its current location.”
Contract awarded
The IBWC says the process “has the potential to reduce the exposure of Americans to Mexican sewage by killing bacteria and reducing hydrogen sulfide levels.”
The agency emphasized that in addition to implementing the United States and Mexico’s Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year, which calls on expanded capacity at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant by 2027, the IBWC is assessing “innovative technologies” to “protect public health and improve the welfare of Americans.”
According to the agency, the U.S. EPA is funding the approximately $2.5M contract awarded to an Ohio-based company, Greenwater Services.
The company’s website says Greenwater Services specializes in water treatment using ozone nanobubbles to remove harmful bacteria, toxins, and nutrients in bodies of water.
“Ozone treatment of wastewater and contaminated water is a widely reviewed and used technology throughout the United States and the world,” said Fisher.
Project concerns
This pilot project continues in the same month that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to pursue state funding for a two-year study intended to collect data of contaminants in the Tijuana River Valley as part of a campaign to secure an EPA Superfund designation.
San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said she is concerned the ozone technology may impact local air quality – a point she raised in a recent letter to IBWC Commissioner William C. McIntosh.
According to Aguirre, advanced oxidation processes or ozone-based treatments could result in the release of toxic gases or byproducts such as nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic.
In her letter, Aguirre related her concerns to those from the community and experts for “a cautious and well-informed approach.”
Kim Prather, an atmospheric chemist and professor at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, told inewsource the project is a reckless operation in the middle of a vulnerable community. According to Prather, bubbles with ozone can lead to chemical reactions in the Tijuana River whose full list of identified chemicals continues to grow.
While Aguirre supports technologies that may alleviate the environmental and public health crisis stemming from sewage pollution in the valley, she said the introduction of untested treatment methods concerns her.
Introducing additional airborne contaminants without rigorous pre-assessment and safeguards would be unacceptable, Aguirre said.
Aguirre requested the immediate suspension of the contract until the agency has provided more information on the technology and its air quality impacts, with strategies to prevent or contain collateral pollution.
“I share your desire to protect Americans,” said IBWC Principal Engineer Ramon Macias in a letter on behalf of McIntosh the following week. “The USIBWC and the entire Administration of President Donald Trump are committed to eliminating the exposure of Americans to Mexican sewage.
“We will continue to accelerate and implement all of the actions agreed to in the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Mexico that results in the 100% solution to this crisis. The pilot project that you are asking us to stop shows promise in accomplishing that. I will not slow the implementation of the project. We appreciate your concern for the health and well-being of Americans.”
