- EPA nominee Jessica Kramer called the sewage flows a “crisis.”
- $300 million from the USMCA is being used for infrastructure fixes.
- San Diego’s beaches and public health continue to face serious risks.
- See our ongoing coverage of this issue here.
Friday, March 28, 2025 — In a Senate hearing Wednesday, California Senator Alex Padilla secured a strong pledge from Jessica Kramer, nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, to prioritize cleanup efforts tied to a long-running sewage crisis affecting Southern California’s border communities.
The conversation took place during Kramer’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Kramer described the situation plainly
: “Raw sewage flowing anywhere, in my mind, is a crisis.” She affirmed that she worked on the issue during her prior tenure at EPA and understands the complex binational infrastructure challenges involved.
A Persistent, Transboundary Problem.
For decades, untreated wastewater, trash, and sediment have flowed across the U.S.-Mexico border through the Tijuana River, San Antonio de los Buenos (SAB) Creek, and multiple canyon tributaries. These flows result from broken wastewater pipes, overwhelmed treatment plants, and poor infrastructure on both sides of the border. According to an EPA overview released in 2021, these contaminated flows spike during storms, averaging 109 million gallons per day in wet weather.
Although there are no flows for roughly 212 days a year, stormwater events cause large surges of untreated water to enter the U.S., threatening public health, closing beaches, and damaging marine habitats. SAB Creek alone contributes 50 million gallons of wastewater daily, much of it raw sewage, which reaches U.S. shores via northward ocean currents.
The pollution not only affects water quality but also impacts U.S. government operations. Navy personnel and Customs and Border Protection officers have reportedly been exposed to the contaminated water during routine duties.
Federal Funding, Infrastructure Projects Underway.
Since entering the Senate, Padilla has made this issue a top priority. He and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, along with the San Diego Congressional delegation, secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds to expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP). Ground broke on the expansion in October 2024. Once completed, the plant will double its treatment capacity and reduce cross-border flows by up to 90 percent.
Additionally, in 2020, $300 million was set aside through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to support transboundary pollution infrastructure projects. EPA has been evaluating ten potential projects, with solutions ranging from conveyance and treatment system upgrades to source control measures that aim to stop pollution before it starts.
A major boost is expected with the anticipated reopening of Mexico’s San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant in spring 2025, which could significantly cut down on the coastal contamination.
I was just briefed that Mexico is dumping large amounts of raw sewage into the Tijuana River, and it’s now seeping into the U.S.
This is unacceptable. Mexico MUST honor its commitments to control this pollution and sewage!
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) March 9, 2025
Public Health and Beach Closures.
The impacts on communities like Imperial Beach and Silver Strand State Beach have been severe. A report by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found that wastewater discharges from SAB Creek are the leading cause of beach closures in the region, especially during dry months. Their modeling showed that eliminating SAB Creek discharges would result in the most significant improvement in shoreline water quality and reduce the number of beach closures throughout the year.
EPA’s 2021 assessment warned that untreated wastewater contains harmful pathogens that increase the risk of illness. Beach closures are implemented during known transboundary flow events to prevent human exposure. Sediment and trash also contribute to localized flooding and property damage.
In light of these concerns, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched an investigation into possible health effects from airborne pollutants tied to sewage flows in the region, following a formal request by Padilla and local lawmakers.
Continued Oversight and Coordination Needed.
During the hearing, Kramer emphasized that collaboration—both across federal agencies and with Mexican authorities—will be critical to resolving the crisis. “It’s especially easy when it’s in the U.S.,” she said, “and it’s a little bit more challenging when we have infrastructure on the other side of the border that we need to be collaborating on.”
Padilla agreed. “Collaboration is key, not just with partners south of the border, but even within the federal government,” he said, citing involvement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State Department.
With major funding already committed and high-level EPA leadership focused on the issue, advocates are hopeful the region may finally see relief from one of the nation’s most persistent water pollution crises.
~~~
Image from the EPA’s 2021 report.
Leave a Reply