As the United States work to address its faulty wastewater treatment infrastructure that contributes to the ongoing Tijuana sewage crisis, leaders have long said that problem arose due to low funding.
To mitigate this, Rep. Scott Peters on March 6 introduced legislation that would allow the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to accept funds of up to $5 million from outside agencies.
Currently, the IBWC, which maintains international wastewater infrastructure on the US side of the border, is reliant on appropriations from Congress for its funding, and until recently, its budget has been much lower.
Over the last two years, Congress has allocated about $650 million to address the failing infrastructure in a series of projects, including rehabilitating and expanding the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP). Projects are currently underway to address the issue and, once completed, are expected to reduce the flow of sewage into the ocean by up to 90%.
The IBWC has said that its plant fell into disrepair due to limited funding. Its budget for construction was about $156 million in 2024, with another $64.8 million for salaries and expenses. Its average construction budget between fiscal years 2010 and 2020 was $31 million, the agency reports.
Between 2010 and 2021, about $4 million total was invested into the treatment plant. The IBWC does not only oversee sewage infrastructure related to Tijuana’s issues; it manages levees, dams, and sanitation along the entire US-Mexico border.
The concern, then, is that after the IBWC spends its influx of funding to fix its failing infrastructure, it will not have enough money to maintain it.
Under the current law, federal, state, and local entities cannot transfer funds to the IBWC. Peters’ proposed legislation would change that, creating a pathway for state and local governments to contribute funding.
“I’ve worked with our Congressional delegation and local advocates for years to bring attention to cross-border sewage pollution, and we now have enough money to fix the SBIWTP and double its capacity,” Peters said in a statement. “Our state and local partners have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of this environmental and public health crisis. Additional funding pathways for the IBWC provides the flexibility we need to better invest in the long-term health and well being of our region.”
The cities of Coronado and San Diego both wrote letters in support of the legislation.
“Your legislation would help foster collaboration between the IBWC, federal agencies, the State of California, and local governments, enabling strategic investments and long-term solutions,” Coronado Mayor John Duncan wrote in his letter on behalf of the city. “It would also allow the IBWC to use these additional funding streams to design, construct, operate, and maintain works along the US-Mexico border and in the Tijuana River Valley.”
