In a huge victory for border communities, the United States and Mexico have reached an agreement. This settlement fundamentally addresses the decades-old problem of wastewater pollution from the San Diego-Tijuana border region. US Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Lee Zeldin and Mexico’s Secretary of the Environment and National Resources Alicia Bárcena announced the agreement during a ceremony in Mexico City. They provided a roadmap. By the end of 2027, each government will make significant investments in water treatment infrastructure on the U.S. and Mexican sides of the border.
If carried out in good faith, the agreement will be a boon to the millions who live around the border. Zeldin described it as “a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans.” The initiative’s longstanding, urgent emphasis has been upgrading and building new wastewater treatment facilities. This is especially important because since 2011, untreated wastewater from Tijuana has been consistently discharging into the Tijuana River—directly impacting residents in many southern San Diego neighborhoods.
Science from the University of California San Diego has exposed startling hazards of raw sewage. The findings from the Purdue University-led study indicate that chemicals washed off tires, personal care products, and illegal narcotics are pouring into the river. These pollutants degrade the quality of the local waterways. They dump toxic waste like sulfur oxide into the air, adding to existing health issues for the tens of thousands of residents living along the river’s banks.
The deal calls for aggressive timeframes for several projects. It commits to major upgrades to the San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant, south-west of Tijuana. Bárcena emphasized the collaborative nature of this effort, stating, “What we are doing, in reality, is trying to resolve once and for all the problem of wastewater from the Tijuana River.” Each national government is excitedly pledging to fund half the upgrade costs towards this integral infrastructure. The total cost is calculated around $67 million, over 1.2 billion pesos.
Indeed, as Zeldin noted, it was former President Trump who was most fixated on this environmental grievance. He continued to underscore its importance for both countries. We’re ready to make sure the cleanup of this water contamination crisis gets addressed. This action will result in a much safer environment for both residents and training Navy SEALs who train on the nearby beaches.
