BajaNomad

TJ River Sewage Problem

LancairDriver - 8-12-2017 at 06:54 AM

Wasn't there talk of San Diego buying them a new sewage plant a while back? This is disgusting.

http://fox5sandiego.com/2017/08/11/state-of-emergency-renewe...

Whale-ista - 8-13-2017 at 09:29 AM

The history of cross-border sewage facility construction, and who pays for what, goes back decades- including construction of a treatment plant on the US side, and the US helping pay for facilities on the MX side via USEPA Border Environmental Infrastructure Funds, administered by the North American Development Bank (NADBank).

For details see: http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/sandiego/water_issues/programs/iwtp/...
http://nadbank.org/pdfs/state_projects/FS%20Tijuana.pdf

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-border-sewage-plant...

There are also ongoing efforts to improve collection/treatment on the MX side (see: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-califor...)

But the basic problem is the population and water delivery services in Tijuana have both grown faster than the city's wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure.

Over 1 million people in Tijuana have access to water, but many have no sewer hookups. Polluted runoff enters the city's combined storm drain/sewage system and- when it rains- flows into the Tijuana River, crosses into the US, and winds up along the shorelines. This makes it a binational problem, requiring binational funding and cooperation.

Ten years ago, while serving in the California legislature, I recommended the creation of a crossborder commission to focus on these problems (see my letter here: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sandiego/board_info/agendas/20...)


There is also a bill this year to fund more studies:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtm...

Hope that helps.

SFandH - 8-13-2017 at 10:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  


There is also a bill this year to fund more studies:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtm...



From the bill:

"Up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) of the moneys appropriated to the County of San Diego, described in subdivision (a), shall be used to update or conduct, as the case may be, the following studies:
(1) An update to the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team’s “Recovery Strategy: Living with the Water,” January 2012 to include issues related to wastewater and runoff.
(2) A study focused on the improvement and protection of natural lands, including the main river channel, in the Tijuana River Valley."

--------------------------------------------
How nice, 1/2 million dollars to produce paper studies about an obvious problem that has an obvious solution. Gee, thanks Ben Hueso.

Clearly what's needed are cement trucks, laborers, and engineers to design and build what's needed to fix the problem of contaminated water from TJ flowing into the US because gravity makes stuff flow downhill and that's where it is going to go. Better sewage infrastructure on the TJ side and a treatment plant in the river valley to treat the sewage before discharge into the ocean. US and Mexico split the costs. It's a win-win for both sides.


[Edited on 8-13-2017 by SFandH]

Boulder bob222 - 8-13-2017 at 10:42 AM

Whale-ista

What ever happened to the catch basins and pump stations at smugglers gulch and goat canyon?

Boulder bob222 - 8-13-2017 at 11:09 AM

BOONDOGGLE!!!

Whale-ista - 8-13-2017 at 12:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  
Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista  


There is also a bill this year to fund more studies:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtm...



From the bill:

"Up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) of the moneys appropriated to the County of San Diego, described in subdivision (a), shall be used to update or conduct, as the case may be, the following studies:
(1) An update to the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team’s “Recovery Strategy: Living with the Water,” January 2012 to include issues related to wastewater and runoff.
(2) A study focused on the improvement and protection of natural lands, including the main river channel, in the Tijuana River Valley."

--------------------------------------------
How nice, 1/2 million dollars to produce paper studies about an obvious problem that has an obvious solution. Gee, thanks Ben Hueso.

Clearly what's needed are cement trucks, laborers, and engineers to design and build what's needed to fix the problem of contaminated water from TJ flowing into the US because gravity makes stuff flow downhill and that's where it is going to go. Better sewage infrastructure on the TJ side and a treatment plant in the river valley to treat the sewage before discharge into the ocean. US and Mexico split the costs. It's a win-win for both sides.


[Edited on 8-13-2017 by SFandH]

FWIW: I don't support funding for additional studies without a defined plan of action. This issue has been studied for decades.

Boulderbob: Some of the basins/pumps were wiped out with the construction of the 3rd border fence, contributing to even worse flooding/erosion.

Remember: under DHS policies, when constructing a border fence, they can waive any and all regulations, including those aimed at preventing damage to the steep slopes, wetlands, etc. So the border fence has exacerbated the pollution/erosion/run-off.

SF&H: Much of that has been provided. What's also needed is leadership, funding and X-border cooperation with US/MX state/federal agencies- and that continues to be in short supply.

SFandH - 8-13-2017 at 01:07 PM

Yeah everybody knows what the problem is and what the fix is. A couple of recent news articles have said that the TJ residents are getting fed up with the crumbling, inadequate sewage infrastructure and are beginning to apply pressure. The Punta Bandera treatment plant is woefully inadequate also. I think that's less of a problem for Imperial Beach though.

yumawill - 8-13-2017 at 06:17 PM

As a 37 year resident of Imperial Beach I can attest to the chronic sewage from Mexico. My favorite joke used to be " how can you tell the IB surfers at other surf breaks? the're the ones always spittin' ". We've been polluted by Mexico for 80 years now. The only thing that will stop it is a Damn. Or maybe a 2" pump with a nozzle spraying it back across the border?
We invested 10 billion dollars in a sewage treatment plant and ponds to catch it in. Now we need more.Ridiculous.
Close the north bound lanes at the border for a week and see how fast Mexico gets it chit in a pipe.