EPA, Mexico Advance Agreement to Address Tijuana River Sewage Pollution
New bilateral agreement outlines infrastructure, monitoring, and planning steps to reduce cross-border wastewater impacts.
The EPA announced that it and Mexican counterparts have signed a new bilateral agreement aimed at advancing efforts to resolve a decades-long sewage contamination issue affecting the Tijuana River and cross-border coastal areas.
The agreement, known as Minute 333, outlines a series of Mexico-side infrastructure projects, enhanced monitoring, research initiatives, and planning efforts designed to address untreated sewage flow from Mexico into Southern California. Officials said the plan incorporates provisions to account for future population growth in the Tijuana region.
Minute 333 builds on a memorandum of understanding signed earlier in the year between EPA and Mexican environmental authorities. It details steps to improve wastewater treatment facilities, develop a Tijuana water infrastructure master plan, and establish a binational working group to assess potential options, including expanded treatment capacity and sediment management.
U.S. and Mexican sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission will oversee implementation of the agreement. Under the terms, no additional U.S. taxpayer funding is required for the projects identified.
The Tijuana River sewage issue has been linked to beach closures, environmental degradation of the Tijuana River Valley, and public health concerns on both sides of the border. By codifying a series of actions and timelines in Minute 333, EPA officials said stakeholders can move forward with a coordinated approach.
Officials from both nations described the agreement as an important component of long-term efforts to reduce pollution and protect community health and natural resources in the border region.
See more at the EPA link.
