Some Movement on a Tijuana River Sewage Solution
Beaches remain closed from the border to south Coronado, but a slough of officials in recent days has elevated calls to fund a long-term solution to pollution from the Tijuana River.
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EPA Chief Gets Tour of Tijuana River Sewage and Trash That Foul San Diego Beaches
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Chelsea Campos /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Wendy FryU.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan got a first-hand look Friday at the Tijuana River Valley, where hundreds of millions of gallons of water laced with raw sewage, trash and industrial chemicals regularly foul San Diego shorelines, shuttering beaches as far north as Coronado.
“You know, you can read about these things and have your own visualization, but seeing it first-hand really is impactful,” said Regan, the first EPA administrator to tour the local border region.
Mexico Says It Fixed the Tijuana River Sewage Problem. It’s Partly True
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer and Vicente CalderónLike a giant garbage disposal, three huge new green pipes sit on Mexico’s side of the border, shredding trash in the Tijuana River that would otherwise jam this critical piece of the city’s wastewater system that caused spills on the United States side.
Who Owns the Tijuana River – and Who Needs Its Water Most
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Chelsea Campos /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer and Vicente CalderónOn a stormy day, 1 billion gallons of water can rage down the river crossing from Tijuana to San Diego.
None of that water is captured for reuse now among the two desert cities it splits, which are regularly prone to drought, because it’s considered polluted by sewage spills on the Mexican side. If successfully recycled, that water could prove to be valuable as the Southwest grows more water-uncertain due to climate change.
Border Sewage Projects Secure Funding, But Progress Will Be Slow
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /KPBS San Diegoby Erik AndersonSan Diego officials are optimistic that a long-term fix to stop persistent cross-border sewage flows is close. There is now money available and more than two dozen projects are already vetted, but it could still be years before the majority of the flows stop.
San Diego and Tijuana Announce Plans to Improve Tijuana River Water Treatment
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /KPBS-FM/TV (City News Service)by City News ServiceBoth United States and Mexican officials announced separate plans Tuesday to upgrade Tijuana River wastewater facilities.
The international river has been a longtime problem for residents of Imperial Beach and Tijuana, as sewage and trash from the river have spilled into the Pacific Ocean for decades, often closing beaches near the border and damaging natural habitats along the river.
The Tijuana River straddles the U.S.-Mexico border, picking up sewage and trash along its winding and cross-border path. Over the last 40 years water- treatment facilities have been overrun with sewage and trash, especially during the rainy season.
EPA Wants to Spend $300 Million for Border Sewage Problem
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /KPBS-FM-TVby City News ServiceThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed spending $300 million to address the problem of toxic sewage flowing across the border into San Diego County, legislators announced Tuesday.
The money would be part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, and will be used for the engineering, planning, design and construction of wastewater infrastructure at the border, officials said.
“San Diegans have suffered too long from the regular flow of raw sewage into our country from Mexico. With the full $300 million, the EPA can now lead a comprehensive and coordinated effort with the local community to build much-needed wastewater infrastructure for the region,” read a joint statement from Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, Reps. Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, all D-San Diego, and Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano. “The health and safety of California’s border communities must be a top priority for everyone involved. We will continue to work with local communities, the state and federal agencies to finally bring some relief to San Diego County.”
As Tijuana Sewage Pollutes South San Diego Beaches, County Asks for Federal Help
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /KPBS-FM/TVby Erik AndersonSouth San Diego County’s ocean waters are awash in sewage-tainted runoff coming across the border and local and state officials want action to stop the polluted flows.
Sixty million gallons of sewage-tainted water flows into the U.S. every day.
“The entire sewer system of Tijuana has collapsed,” said Serge Dedina, Imperial Beach mayor. “And it appears there is absolutely no effort underway in Mexico, on the part of the U..S federal government, the Trump administration, to actually move forward and ask for emergency repairs so that we don’t endure an entire summer of polluted beaches.”
Tijuana River Sewage Pollution Shutters Beaches as far North as Coronado
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /The San Diego Union-Tribune by Joshua Emerson SmithBeaches were closed on Tuesday from the Mexico border to Coronado as rain flushed sewage-contaminated runoff from Tijuana into the San Diego region.
Millions of gallons of polluted water have been regularly flowing over the border through the Tijuana River for months. The southern shoreline in Imperial Beach has been closed since November as a result.
“Things have gotten worse than ever,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. “Over the last three months, the levels of pollution are astronomical. We’ve never seen anything like it.”
Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey could not immediately be reached for comment.
Implementing Solutions for Tijuana River to Meet Clean Water Act Requirements
/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Mike Lee /KUSI Newsby Dan PlanteTwenty-five to 35 million gallons of raw sewage is pouring into the ocean every day and could keep flowing all summer long. Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina tweeted Friday about the fluctuating flow rate of the Tijuana River, which could indicate that parts of Mexico are using the river as an open sewer. Dedina recently told KUSI “this could be the worst round of pollution we have ever seen coming at us. In 2017, we had 250 million gallons spilled, now we have 50 million gallons, a minimum of 50 million gallons every single day.”
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
