The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider a proposal to design and build a sewage treatment system on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico in response to the Tijuana River pollution crisis.
Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer are calling for a "Tijuana River Capture and Cleanup Initiative," to be carried out in three phases.
Aguirre, board chair pro tem, said during a Monday news conference that she and her colleague "are asking to put $5.8 million in local county funds directly to work on U.S. soil."
According to the supervisors, existing facilities on both sides of the border keep sewage out of the Tijuana River by capturing it in Mexico and conveying it to treatment. "But those systems do not capture everything, and none of them have the capacity to treat all of the polluted water flowing through the river itself," they added.
The measure, agenda item 13, also includes:
- emergency declarations, along with possible state legislation, to speed up the permitting processes;
- turning the board's ad hoc subcommittee on the sewage crisis into a standing committee for board oversight of every phase;
- allocating $1.8 million to the Department of Public Works to oversee the project's first phase; and
- establishing a local capture and treatment system that "will finally give our region control over polluted river flows before they reach our communities and coastline, safeguarding public health, the environment, local economies and the region's long-term future," according to the supervisors.
In a related matter, Aguirre and Lawson-Remer on Tuesday will request $4 million for design, environmental review and permitting for a project that would replace failing box culverts beneath Saturn Boulevard.
Located near the Tijuana River, the road features a "hot spot" that became the focus of studies last year by a team from UC San Diego. In 2024, the number of foul odor complaints spiked among residents near the Tijuana River.
Team readings found levels of hydrogen sulfide — also known as sewer gas because of its rotten-egg smell — 4,500 times higher than what is typical for an urban area.
When completed, the project "would allow water to move more freely through the channel, reducing the turbulence that releases harmful gases into the air," according to their board letter, agenda item 14. "It would also improve flood protection, reduce road overtopping and make access to the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park more reliable."
Supervisors recently approved $2.5 million to fix existing culvert pipes, with completion expected next year. However, that project "addresses an immediate public health problem with funding already in place, while the county works to secure the much larger investment needed for the permanent solution," officials said.
During the Monday news conference, board Chair Lawson-Remer said the proposals are "a long-term solution that gives us control of our own future."
"The time has come to end this environmental injustice," she added.
Aguirre said when she first started working on the pollution issue, she was a 25-year-old surfer who just wanted clean water. "That was over 20 years ago, and still here we are," Aguirre added. "Every person regardless of ZIP code has a right to clean water and clean air."
Aguirre said county leaders will continue working with Mexico and the federal government to reduce the sewage threat.
Virginia Castellanos, an Imperial Beach resident and nurse for the South Bay Unified School District, said she was concerned about what repeated, long-term environmental exposure to sewage-related pollutants could mean for the community.
Natalie Mladenov, an engineering professor at San Diego State University, offered numerous methods to treat contaminated wastewater, including advanced oxidation, ultraviolet light or aeration.
"We do it really well as engineers," she added.
Ash Israni, an Imperial Beach hotel owner, said the ongoing problem is affecting tourism, noting that there are guests who plan to stay for a week but then check out due to poor beach conditions.
"It's a disgrace that we have raw sewage flowing into our country and can't do anything about it," he added.
Also on Monday, the Yes on Measure B campaign offered its support for the county measures.
Voters in November will decide on Measure B — sponsored by a coalition of health care workers, first responders and union leaders — that would increase the county sales tax by 0.5% to fund projects to stop the pollution crisis and also bolster health care.
The Tuesday supervisors meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in chambers, 1600 Pacific Highway.
