SAN DIEGO — U.S. Congress members from California introduced legislation Thursday to stop the flow of raw sewage from Tijuana, Mexico, into the Pacific Ocean and across the U.S. border. The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2024 would put the Environmental Protection Agency in charge of coordinating federal, state, tribal and local agencies to stop wastewater pollution from the Tijuana River. The bill also tasks the agency with developing a comprehensive plan to address the area’s water quality issues.

What You Need To Know

  • U.S. Congress members from California introduced legislation Thursday to stop the flow of raw sewage from Tijuana, Mexico, into the Pacific Ocean and across the U.S. border

  • The San Diego coastline has been closed for more than 1,000 days because of sewage flowing across the border

  • Over the past five years, at least 100 billion gallons of raw sewage, trash and untreated stormwater have flowed from the Tijuana River into the Pacific and across the U.S. border

  • The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2024 would put the Environmental Protection Agency in charge of coordinating federal, state, tribal and local agencies to stop wastewater pollution from the Tijuana River and develop a comprehensive plan to address the area’s water quality issues

The San Diego coastline has been closed for more than 1,000 days because of sewage flowing across the border. Over the past five years, at least 100 billion gallons of raw sewage, trash and untreated stormwater have flowed from the Tijuana River into the Pacific and across the border into the United States, the lawmakers said.

“It should be an outrage to all of us that in 2024 raw sewage and toxic waste is shutting down public beaches, polluting the air and threatening the health of our families and readiness of our military and border personnel,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said in a statement. 

Last year alone, 44 billion gallons of sewage flowed across the border from Tijuana. It was the highest volume in a quarter century, the lawmakers said.

The Tijuana River Mouth in San Diego County ranked first in Heal the Bay’s 2023-2024 Beach Bummer List of most polluted beaches. Three other San Diego beaches ranked in the top 10 due to untreated sewage in the ocean originating from inadequate sanitation infrastructure in Tijuana, Heal the Bay said in its report. 

The nonprofit advises against swimming at the four San Diego County beaches on its bummer list until U.S.-funded upgrades have been made to nearby wastewater treatment plans, which are likely to take at least a decade. 

“This is an environmental crisis, a public health crisis, and an economic crisis for San Diegans. The federal government should treat it as such,” Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., said in a statement. “The legislation introduced today institutes a whole-of-government approach for resolving this crisis. This is the same type of program you see in the San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes. San Diego is no less deserving.”