EPA and US IBWC Announce Major Milestone in Delivering 100% Solution to the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis

Trump Administration Completes 10 Million Gallon Expansion in Record 100 Days, Years Ahead of Original Schedule

WASHINGTON  – RealEstateRama – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) Commissioner Chad McIntosh announced the completion of the 10 million-gallon-per-day (mgd) expansion to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) in San Diego. This project was originally estimated to take two years, but the Trump Administration fast-tracked completion to just 100 days after announcing the project on May 20, 2025.

This expansion represents the completion of a major milestone in delivering Americans in the San Diego area a permanent, 100% solution to the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis and implementing the comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that Administrator Zeldin signed in Mexico City on July 24, 2025 on behalf of the Trump Administration.

“The Trump Administration committed to delivering an urgent and permanent 100% solution to the millions of people afflicted by this crisis, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get,”?said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “Just four months after I personally surveyed the environmental devastation in San Diego, seeing the polluted waterways, closed beaches, and smelling the foul air, we’ve delivered this critical expansion years ahead of schedule. Protecting human health and the environment is our first priority at EPA, and no American should have to worry if the air they breathe or the beaches they visit are safe.”?

“The Trump Administration has made clear we will no longer tolerate Americans being exposed to Mexican sewage,” Commissioner Chad McIntosh said. “Today’s achievement is a key part of a durable, comprehensive solution to the Tijuana River pollution crisis. It comes about a month after Administrator Zeldin and I traveled to Mexico City where we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Barcena to address the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis. The President, EPA Administrator, Secretary of State Rubio, Ambassador Ron Johnson, and I are committed to finally ending this problem. We appreciate President Claudia Sheinbaum’s partnership, cooperation, and commitment to clean up the Tijuana River Valley.”?

“This is yet another challenge facing both of our nations that we have worked together to resolve. And the people of Cali-Baja have seen the benefits of that work,” said U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson.

“For decades politicians ignored the sewage crisis that poisoned our beaches, threatened our health and harmed our U.S. Navy Seals,” said Supervisor Jim Desmond. “That has finally changed. Under the Trump administration this crisis has been made a top priority, and the results are clear. In just 100 days we’ve seen action instead of excuses. I want to thank Administrator Zeldin, the EPA, and the IBWC,  for their hard work and dedication to tackling this problem head-on. Because of their efforts, San Diegans are finally seeing progress that will make our community safer and healthier.”

“After decades of delay and broken promises, in just 100 days we now have real progress at the South Bay plant. Administrator Zeldin and the EPA have shown what leadership with urgency looks like, and this success was only possible because of the teamwork of the EPA, the IBWC, and our local partners,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin. “I want to personally thank each of them for their dedication to this cause. Their efforts are making our water cleaner, our families safer, and our community healthier. This is proof that when federal, binational, and local leaders work together, we can solve problems that once felt impossible.”

With this expansion, SBIWTP’s treatment capacity increases from 25 million gallons per day to 35 million gallons per day, a 40% increase that will significantly reduce wastewater flowing into the Tijuana River and eliminate the foul smells that have long plagued San Diego residents.

The Trump EPA is already exploring further expansion of SBIWTP’s treatment capacity to 50 million gallons per day or more by December 31, 2027, ensuring the facility can handle future growth in the region.

The plant’s expedited expansion was one of the key U.S.-side projects detailed in the historic MOU that Administrator Zeldin signed in Mexico City in July 2025. The agreement establishes a framework for permanent resolution through three critical priorities:

Priority One: Securing Mexico’s Financial Commitments

Over the next two budget cycles in 2026 and 2027, Mexico will fulfill its $93 million obligation for previously agreed upon projects, ensuring critical infrastructure can be completed by December 31, 2027, or sooner.

Priority Two: Accelerated Project Timelines?

>Both countries are compressing construction schedules to deliver relief as quickly as possible. Mexico has committed to begin construction on two important projects before year’s end: diverting 10 million gallons per day of treated effluent upstream of the Rodriguez Dam, and rehabilitating the Parallel Gravity Line. The U.S. will release previously appropriated funds to accelerate Pump Station 1 and Tijuana River Gates projects once Mexico begins construction on its commitments.

Within 100 days of the MOU signing, both the U.S. and Mexico will evaluate and pressure-test all infrastructure project schedules to ensure completion on the shortest possible timelines. This accountability mechanism ensures that relief reaches affected communities years ahead of previous projections.

Priority Three: Future-Proofing the Solution?

>Per the MOU, Mexico has agreed to enter into a new Minute with the U.S. no later than December 31, 2025. This new agreement will contain a minimum of one dozen new actions and projects necessary to permanently end the pollution crisis, including: engineering feasibility work for an ocean outfall pipe at Tijuana’s San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant; creating a special maintenance account at the North American Development Bank; developing a comprehensive Tijuana water infrastructure master plan; and establishing a transparent, real-time binational monitoring system.

Please see the full Memorandum of Understanding for more information.

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