Five-Pillar Binational Plan Unveiled to Curb Tijuana River Pollution

The chamber-backed blueprint seeks enforceable IBWC commitments with steady U.S. funding to keep the South Bay treatment plant running.

Overview

Released by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Prebys Foundation, the report was authored by former IBWC commissioner Maria Elena Giner and former EPA official Doug Liden.
It urges completing wastewater treatment upgrades on both sides of the border and securing annual operations and maintenance funding for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The plan calls for adhering to IBWC treaty Minutes and evaluating a tiered IBWC fee that would penalize facilities for discharging wastewater to the Tijuana River.
Eliminating dry‑weather flows and prioritizing wastewater reuse are identified as the most cost‑effective steps to cut contamination and reduce future discharges.
The report details persistent public‑health harms and infrastructure gaps, noting a 1,750‑square‑mile watershed mostly in Mexico, urgent repairs needed for 75% of Tijuana’s network and half its pump stations, projected 40% population growth by 2050, and critical deterioration at the South Bay plant in 2022.