Reported by MacKenzie Elmer and Vicente Calderón
The Tijuana River sewage crisis has been raging for decades. It’s one of the most pressing environmental emergencies in the region. Southern California beaches are forced to close regularly due to pollution from the river, and Tijuana residents suffer the consequences of poor sewage and water infrastructure that puts their health at risk.
The U.S. and Mexico have a long history with this crisis that ultimately belongs to both countries. Our reporting series aims to reveal the root problems, possible solutions and the impact on the region’s land and people.
Our Stories
Mexico Said River Border Wall Broke Treaties. The US Built it Anyway.
Experts warn Customs and Border Protection’s wall through the Tijuana River will eventually cause catastrophic flooding in both nations. The IBWC was the only agency with the power to stop it.
Keep reading
How a New US President Could Shake Up Tijuana Sewage Crisis
The president picks the leader of the IBWC, the federal agency with big responsibilities for managing and treating Tijuana sewage before it hits San Diego. Most like the person at the helm now and don’t want that to change.
Keep reading
Time to Evacuate the Tijuana River Valley?
County officials said the pollution problem is far from triggering a mandatory mass exodus from South Bay, but it’s not totally outside the realm of possibilities.
Keep reading
Feds Won’t Let Anticipated Sewage Spill Hit the Tijuana River After All
Remember that warning about more raw Tijuana sewage headed toward San Diego this month?
Keep readingVargas Stalls Tijuana River Superfund Decision, Lawson-Remer Pursuing Anyway
County Supervisor Chair Nora Vargas, whose district encompasses the Tijuana River Valley, got her Republican colleagues to agree to stall a Superfund designation proposal introduced by her Democratic colleague Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on Tuesday.
Keep reading
Imperial Beach Coast Is Finally Open, But More Sewage Is on the Way.
Tijuana is about to make a scheduled repair to its biggest sewer main – leaving millions of gallons of city sewage with nowhere to go but the Tijuana River.
Keep reading
Supervisor Vargas: There’s No Toxic Gas Concern in Tijuana River Valley
County air quality and public health experts combat alarm over toxic gas reports from university researchers in South Bay.
Keep readingSewage Fix, Sort of
The border sewage-wrangling federal agency fumbling with a broken wastewater treatment plant says it’s ready to go full steam ahead on fixing and expanding that plant: Within about 7 years.
Keep reading
While Tijuana Sends Sewage Over Border, US Avoids Source of Stink
South Bay residents and leaders desperately want the government to stop stinking up their homes, but they’re firing at the wrong target. The smells come from Tijuana.
Keep reading
Imperial Beach Students: Everybody Deserves Clean Air and Water
We are a group of students, most of whom attend Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach. During our spring semester, we worked together with scientists at UC San Diego’s Airborne Institute, learning how to use air sensors to better understand the air we’re breathing. We recorded particulate matter counts, which measure a mix of…
Keep reading
Environment Report: US Steps up Watchdog Role Over Tijuana Sewage System
The IBWC will begin monthly inspections of a key wastewater pump that keeps sewage from spilling into the Tijuana River, among other collaborations.
Keep reading
Border Sewage Plant Leader ‘Reevaluating’ Censored Records
Look familiar? We pulled this post from the Morning Report. Subscribe to the daily newsletter here to get all our updates in your inbox. The public may soon have more clarity on what exactly is wrong with a broken sewage treatment plant along the U.S.-Mexico border. President Joe Biden’s pick to care for the South…
Keep reading
Broken Border Sewage Plant Gets Its Fix
Congress agreed to send more money to fix a broken wastewater treatment plant in San Diego along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Keep reading
Dems to Issa: Are You In or Out on Border Sewage Fix?
California Rep. Darrell Issa has been questioning how the International Boundary and Water Commission allowed the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment plant to fall into such disrepair.
Keep reading
Environment Report: Biden’s Border Pick Tries to Bring Her House in Order
A letter from the IBWC’s leader reveals some issues working with its contractor that operates and maintains the plant.
Keep readingFeds Won’t Tell Public What’s Wrong with Its Border Sewage Plant
Voice of San Diego had to sue to get public records that are supposed to show what’s wrong with the South Bay plant.
Keep readingSomething went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
San Diego 101: Know the Basics
San Diego 101 is a multimedia series from VOSD made to educate San Diegans about some of the most important issues that shape our region. These videos explain the basics of U.S.-Mexico border relations.
Thank You
This series is produced by Voice of San Diego in partnership with the Tijuanapress.com and with support from The Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder and The Pulitzer Center. Our binational, bilingual reporting and photojournalism series illuminates longstanding environmental issues that severely impact quality of life along the border.