BajaNomad

CBS' 60 Minutes shines spotlight on border area sewage issues

BajaNomad - 5-31-2020 at 10:15 PM

It included confirmation that the treatment plant just south of Playas de TJ doesn't actually treat anything these days...

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Some of the wastewater that does get collected is pumped into these giant pools six miles south of the border, where the sewage is supposed to be treated and discharged through this massive pipe as clean water into the ocean. But the facility hasn't worked for years, so what you're looking at is untreated sewage emptying directly into the Pacific.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/raw-sewage-southern-california-...

For those unaware of the location of this treatment plant location:
https://goo.gl/maps/xNZW569pYB4Whmsm7




dischargepipe0.jpg - 47kBcollectionpools0.jpg - 51kB

SFandH - 6-1-2020 at 03:30 AM

Hate to be pessimistic but as Leslie Stahl said "this has been going on for decades", including the ineffective San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant. Politicians from local to federal, on both sides of the border, all know about it. Nothing ever gets done.

Yes, it's gross, yes it's toxic, yes it's dangerous. But (my theory) not enough people, compared to the millions in the area, are sickened by it to do anything. Cheaper to just close the adjacent beaches. :(

mtgoat666 - 6-1-2020 at 06:59 AM

TJ has just never had the resources (money) and public will to tackle it’s pollution problems,...
Population growing fast, limited public funds, typical scenario.
Communities or countries need public moneys and public will to tackle pollution...

A more interesting question:
How does TJ sewage problem compare to other big coastal cities in Mexico? Is TJ unique? I suspect there are other coastal cities in Mexico with same problem, no municipal treatment, direct discharge to ocean...

mtgoat666 - 6-1-2020 at 07:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaNomad  
For those unaware of the location of this treatment plant location:
https://goo.gl/maps/xNZW569pYB4Whmsm7


Thanks for the link to map location.
From that map, I just realized that trump’s failed development was just below those sewage lagoons. Trump sure chose a bad spot for his resort!

On the google photo I can see aerators in operation,... so there is some treatment going on perhaps...

SFandH - 6-1-2020 at 07:49 AM

The last I read about the San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant is about 15% of the sewage arriving at the plant goes through primary treatment, the rest receives no treatment at all.

There are two main parts to the sewage issue. Collecting the sewage and then disposing of it. TJ has its hands full in building and maintaining the collection system and keeping the sewage off the streets. The major sewage spills that seem to occur on a regular basis that send sewage into the Tijuana River Valley south of Imperial Beach are due to collection system failures, broken pumps, broken pipes.

I think the first step in rebuilding the San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant should be to lay a long pipe out into deep water. The San Diego Point Loma sewage treatment plant outfall could be used as a model. That way the sewage could be moved away from the coastline and the people who live along it. The second step would be to improve the plant so that all the incoming sewage goes through at least primary treatment.

Endless studies have been done, endless meetings have occurred, politicians have made endless promises, but nothing ever happens.



del mar - 6-1-2020 at 09:44 AM

they put the boundary in the wrong place. late 1700's the upper and lower boundary plan ran from rosarito to the colorado river.....the u.s. would have been stuck with this mess. Imagine what tijuana would look like today!

David K - 6-1-2020 at 09:59 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  


Thanks for the link to map location.
From that map, I just realized that trump’s failed development was just below those sewage lagoons. Trump sure chose a bad spot for his resort!



The developers of that failed resort paid Trump to use his name to promote the project... it was never "his resort".

SFandH - 6-1-2020 at 11:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  


The developers of that failed resort paid Trump to use his name to promote the project... it was never "his resort".


Just to set the record straight, here are quotes from Ivanka and Trump:

“We are developing a world-class resort befitting of the Trump brand,” Ivanka Trump said in a video on the Trump Baja website. “I’m very excited about it. I actually chose to buy a unit in the first tower.”

Her father appeared in the same video saying he was proud “that when I build, I have investors that follow me all over.”

“They invest in what I build, and that’s why I’m so excited about Trump Ocean resort,” he said.

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-baja-snap-s...

But, maybe they were just lying.

[Edited on 6-1-2020 by SFandH]

Don Pisto - 6-1-2020 at 12:31 PM

beautiful piece of coastline! :coolup:

Lee - 6-1-2020 at 04:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  

“They invest in what I build, and that’s why I’m so excited about Trump Ocean resort,” he said.

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-baja-snap-s...

But, maybe they were just lying.

[Edited on 6-1-2020 by SFandH]


In RE jargon, this is commonly known as ''fluff,'' which is legal.

tRump owns the name but not the building and most likely has a equity share by leasing his name. Smoke and mirrors. Kinda like the ''University.''

bajaric - 6-1-2020 at 05:00 PM

To say the sewage in those pictures is untreated is incorrect. It is in three large holding ponds, exposed to the cleansing effects of sunlight, oxygen, and biological attenuation. This method of sewage treatment is used all across the US where a convenient ocean is not present to dump it into a sewage outfall. Another big sewage outfall is not the answer. In Southern California the sewage outfalls went in and the fish left, north to south.

mtgoat666 - 6-1-2020 at 05:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  


Thanks for the link to map location.
From that map, I just realized that trump’s failed development was just below those sewage lagoons. Trump sure chose a bad spot for his resort!



The developers of that failed resort paid Trump to use his name to promote the project... it was never "his resort".


It had his name on it. It was his. Why did he lend his name to a bad project? Perhaps he is just a RE crook, take a quick licensing payment, then let suckers buy into a mess he knew was bad from the get to...

David K - 6-2-2020 at 07:40 AM

It wan't a bad project (and it didn't fail) before he sold them his name, silly goat. Make fun of the fact it failed after they bought his name.

bajaric - 6-2-2020 at 11:40 AM

if you squint your eyes it looks like a golf resort

Solar powered --
seriously, this is a Mexican achievement the has no parallel in the region, evaporation ponds, same thing in TJ river valley and problem solved.