San Diego secures $250 million to combat Tijuana River sewage crisis
The federal government narrowly avoided a shutdown Friday night by passing a short-term funding bill that includes an additional $250 million to expand the South Bay International Water Treatment Plant.
IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The federal government narrowly avoided a shutdown Friday night by passing a short-term funding bill that includes an additional $250 million to expand the South Bay International Water Treatment Plant.
This funding would double the facility's capacity to 50 million gallons a day.
For now, it's business as usual in Imperial Beach.
“It’s definitely a slow day,” said Jonathan Stanley, the barista at Babycakes Bake Shop in Imperial Beach.
He says it's been slower than usual with the season and the smell.
“When I come in and you can smell the sewage in the air, it definitely seems like it’s slower for us,” he said.
In the last five years, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged waste water has flown into the Tijuana River Valley.
“I’ve frankly been incredibly frustrated that it’s taken this long,” 49th District Representative Mike Levin said.
The current wastewater treatment infrastructure on both sides of the border lack the capacity to treat the sewage released from the Tijuana River, according to the California Coastal Commission.
“No more excuses and no more delays," Levin said. "They now have all the money they need and all the money that they’ve said is necessary to get this plant done.”
In a statement, 52nd District Representative Juan Vargas said, “This marks a big milestone in our efforts to combat cross-border sewage pollution.”
This expansion could help reopen Imperial Beach for residents like Park Seagraves and his kids.
“This looks like a great beach if we could swim in it and spend more time here,” Seagraves said.
And for Evan Albarran who says he can't keep the fish he's caught.
“We’ve been doing well so far – caught a couple fish but threw them back in the ocean,” Albarran said.
In a statement, 50th District Representative Scott Peters said, “San Diegans have been calling on the federal government to put an end to this crisis for years, and today’s accomplishment is a credit to their advocacy.
A majority of the projects remain in the planning and budgeting phase, according to the International Boundary and Water Commission, and residents like Stanley hope to see that work completed quickly.
“It’d be better for the business," he said. "It’d be better for me as an employee.”
You can track the project status here.
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