The most important resource in the race to fix the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis is state and federal funding. Anyone following the issue is undoubtedly aware of the long history of government inaction that has stifled progress in the Tijuana River Valley. Luckily, 2024 was a significant year for funding, with enough actually coming in to move the needle.
Recently Secured State & Federal Funding
In December 2024, President Biden signed a stopgap budget bill that included $250 million to temporarily address operational challenges at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP), operated by the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC), a binational organization that manages transboundary water between the U.S. and Mexico. The funding was driven in no small part by environmental advocates, such as Coastkeeper and our coalition of partners, whose relentless advocacy work has elevated the pollution crisis to the national level and as a top priority in San Diego.
Coupled with the previously secured $400 million from Congress, Biden’s funding brought the IBWC’s total funding for 2024 to around $650 million. Still below what is required for a long-term fix, this has been invaluable in repairing damaged and outdated treatment facilities north of the border.
New Funding Cuts for Fiscal year 2025
In March, long-term funding for cross-border sewage treatment was dealt a heavy blow when House Republicans slashed the annual budget for cross-border sewage treatment in half. While this will not affect the $650 million already secured, it does reduce the IBWC’s yearly budget for repair and maintenance of the South Bay treatment plant from $156 million to $78 million.
Is More Funding Needed?
Yes. While the recent federal funding was a windfall for critically needed repairs and upgrades, a lack of government funding remains the biggest setback to stopping the pollution and restoring the Tijuana River.
A major problem is that there is currently no sustainable funding source for the South Bay treatment plant. This is why Coastkeeper supports Senator Steve Padilla’s Senate Bill 10, which would secure a reliable funding stream from toll road taxes at the Otay Mesa border crossing.
Sustainable funding is commonsense economics. Just as incomes need to grow to keep up with inflation and costs of living, funding for the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis likewise needs to keep up with rising stormwater and wastewater demands.
Final Thoughts
Since the IBWC finished construction on the South Bay treatment plant, the population of Tijuana—where the pollution originates from—has doubled, meaning that the plant realistically cannot keep up with sewage demand. Due to increasing sewage loads on the plant from continued population growth in Tijuana, as well as climate change region-wide, it’s crucial that we receive continued, reliable, and sufficient funding to treat the sewage and free up resources to address the deeper causes. Otherwise, the Tijuana River sewage will continue to flow and we will face more and greater public health hazards and ecological disasters in the years to come.
