Sewage Surge From Tijuana River Threatens Southern California Coast

The Tijuana River Valley sits at the intersection of two national sewage systems with vastly different infrastructure capacities. Tijuana's rapid population growth over the past three decades has strained its treatment facilities, and storm events routinely overwhelm collection lines, sending raw waste downstream into California. The International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational agency, has long managed cross-border water issues but has struggled to compel durable fixes on the Mexican side. Federal funding from the 2022 Water Resources Development Act earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars for a new treatment facility near the border, but construction timelines remain extended. San Diego leaders have grown increasingly vocal about the public health and economic toll on coastal communities, while environmentalists warn that local ballot measures may not deliver the targeted remediation residents expect.