The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it has stepped up construction projects to mitigate the sewage crisis impacting communities near the U.S.-Mexico border, cutting nine months from previously announced timelines.
The U.S. and Mexico are coordinating on expediting a multi-year plan to treat Tijuana sewage that has polluted the ocean for years, closing South Bay beaches, creating public health hazards and damaging businesses.
On Oct. 30, the EPA announced completion of a 100-day review of all existing infrastructure projects under Minute 328, a binational agreement signed by the U.S. and Mexico branches of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in 2022.
The agency said the work list fell short of achieving a “100% solution San Diego area residents so desperately demand.” In July, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Mexico’s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) Alicia Bárcena Ibarra signed an updated memorandum in Mexico City.
That agreement identifies three priorities: financial commitments from Mexico; accelerated project timelines; and additional work to cope with population growth in the Tijuana River Valley.
Coronado Mayor John Duncan expressed his gratitude to the Trump Administration for “expediting expansion of treatment on both sides of the border.”
Trimming Minute 328 projects
The EPA said a binational working group found that every project is on track to meet previously-negotiated deadlines.
According to the EPA, the U.S. and Mexico have cut 12 years of construction time across all projects since signing the recent memorandum.
“Reducing timelines for existing infrastructure projects is a sign of great progress and demonstrates how both the United States and Mexico are faithfully upholding their agreed-upon responsibilities from July’s MOU,” said Zeldin. “While substantial construction work lies ahead, this represents a crucial step in our commitment to protect American communities from cross-border pollution.”
This announcement comes after the EPA and IBWC completed a two-year project in 100 days. The agencies announced in August they had increased the capacity of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) by 10 million gallons per day, reducing sewage flows in the Tijuana River and odors in South San Diego.
The EPA said it is working to increase the plant’s treatment capacity to 50 mgd or more by Dec. 31, 2027, as outlined in this year’s memorandum.
Negotiations for a new minute – a form of treaty agreement – have been underway since July, according to the EPA, and signing is anticipated by the end of 2025.
