Newsom visits Tijuana and tours rehabilitation of treatment plant

TIUJANA, BC - During the rehabilitation works being carried out at the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant, the governors of California and Baja California toured the site to supervise progress.

In order to provide a healthier environment in the Cali Baja region, the governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda and her counterpart from California, Gavin Newsom, supervised the progress of the binational project that seeks to eliminate polluting discharges into the sea.

During the tour, Del Pilar emphasized that for both governments the water issue is a priority, so with the support of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the federation applied an investment of 600 million pesos in this water project that is executed by the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA).

“Due to the importance of this work I went to President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to request the financing and he agreed to apply the federal resource, while the works are carried out by Sedena because through them we save bidding and supplying time, besides they work very fast,” said the governor of Baja California.

According to Del Pilar, since 2015 this water treatment plant was not working, so its timely rehabilitation will allow compliance with environmental standards governing the discharge of wastewater into the Nation's bodies of water and binational Agreements.

California Governor Gavin Newsom visited wastewater treatment facilities on both sides of the border to assess rehabilitation efforts and the ongoing wastewater crisis, a long-standing environmental and public health issue.

Working with federal, state and local partners, Governor Newsom has helped secure the funding and support needed to address transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River, while requiring authorities to meet established deadlines. With improved facilities on both sides of the border, sewage flows are expected to be reduced by as much as 90%.

“The Tijuana River sewage crisis has affected our communities for far too long. Thanks to our collaboration with international, federal and local partners, we are making real progress. But our work is far from over - we need serious, ongoing action to protect public health and restore our environment,” said Newsom

Securing federal funding: Working with California's Congressional delegation and the Biden-Harris Administration, Governor Newsom helped secure $453 million in federal funding - $103 million this year and $350 million last year - for critical upgrades at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. The upgrades will significantly reduce the flow of raw sewage into California's coastal waters.

State investments to clean up the area provide air filters to communities: Earlier this month, the County announced plans to purchase and distribute $2.7 million worth of air purifiers to local residents, which will be reimbursed by the state. Since 2019, California has allocated $35 million in state funds to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley and support cleanup efforts:

Secretary for Water Management, Sanitation and Protection, Victor Amador Barragan, mentioned that once rehabilitated, the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) located in the Punta Bandera area will have a capacity to treat and reuse up to 800 liters per second.