US-Mexico Tijuana River sewage crisis deal is ‘massive’ win for Americans, EPA says

A new deal between the United States and Mexico aimed at resolving the Tijuana River sewage crisis is “massive” win for Americans living in the San Diego area, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced this week. 

The memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday as the EPA said “For many decades, untreated raw sewage has flowed into Southern California from Mexico, polluting the Tijuana River Valley, closing beaches, fouling the air, harming the region’s economy, and sickening people on both sides of the border.” 

“The Trump Administration is proud to deliver this massive environmental and national security win for Americans in the San Diego area who have been living with this disgusting raw sewage flowing into their communities for far too long,” Zeldin said in a statement. 

The EPA said the deal meets multiple “top Trump Administration priorities and milestones critical to ensuring a 100% solution to this issue” — including expediting already-existing critical infrastructure projects. 

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“The United States — which has withheld sending more American dollars to projects until Mexico fulfilled their obligations toward other projects — agreed to release EPA Border Water Infrastructure Program funding to complete the rehabilitation of Pump Station 1 and the Tijuana River collection pipes. This is because Mexico agreed to fund and begin construction on two priority projects this year, the diversion of treated effluent from two wastewater treatment plants and the rehabilitation of the Parallel Gravity Line,” the EPA said, in reference to a wastewater collecting pipe in Mexico. “This increased the total number of projects planned for this year from two to six.” 

“To that end, Mexico will immediately seek internal funding to initiate the construction process for the diversion, which will divert 10 million gallons per day of treated effluent entering the Tijuana River, and the rehabilitation of the Parallel Gravity Line. This will be completed no later than December 31, 2025,” the EPA added. 

It also said “Several necessary Mexico side projects have been added to account for future population growth in Tijuana and operation and maintenance costs.” 

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The deal was reached after Zeldin traveled to San Diego in April to speak to those affected by the situation. 

“I made a commitment to the residents that I would spearhead an effort to construct an all-encompassing plan to finally bring the sewage crisis to an end,” Zeldin said. “Since my visit, the Mexican and United States’ governments have been working collaboratively to urgently finalize a permanent 100% solution to this longstanding issue. Secretary Rubio and the whole State Department, and the National Security Council at the White House worked hand-in-hand with EPA, and other federal partners, to make this agreement a reality.” 

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“This is not just a solution for 2025,” he added. “We devised this agreement to factor in population growth, operation and maintenance costs, and other variables that would make this solution durable and long term. Grateful to President Claudia Sheinbaum, Secretary [of the Environment and National Resources of Mexico Alicia] Bárcena, and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their partnership, cooperation, and commitment to work with us to clean up the Tijuana River Valley. This is a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans who have been calling on us to end this decades old crisis.”