San Diego County Approves U.S.-Side Sewage Treatment Plan to Halt Tijuana River Pollution
County supervisors approved a plan to build a sewage treatment system on the U.S. side of the border to stop contaminated Tijuana River water from reaching San Diego beaches.
San Diego County supervisors voted this week to move forward with a new sewage treatment initiative on the U.S. side of the Tijuana River, aiming to intercept polluted runoff before it reaches local communities and beaches. The proposal, championed by Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer, outlines a three-phase program and earmarks $1.8 million for an 18-month feasibility study. Repeated cross-border spills have forced beach closures up to Coronado and generated hydrogen sulfide concentrations thousands of times above normal, prompting the county to distribute free air purifiers to affected households.
While Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond voiced concerns about the potential multibillion-dollar cost and the need for Mexico to address the source, they supported planning for worst-case scenarios. Officials stress that after six decades of unaddressed gaps, the U.S. side lacks any treatment capacity, and the new system would add a critical layer of protection for public health and the coastal environment.
Why it matters
The plan seeks to protect public health and coastal recreation from ongoing cross-border sewage contamination.
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