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EPA presses Mexico for '100% solution' to Tijuana River sewage crisis, officials say
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Summary
Administrator Zeldin told the committee EPA has pushed Mexican authorities to commit to a full, long‑term remedy for sewage flows into the Tijuana River and has accelerated timelines on some projects; members sought Congress’ contribution to binational cleanup costs.
Administrator Lee Zeldin said EPA has urged Mexican officials to agree to a “100% solution” to the long‑running Tijuana River sewage crisis and announced the U.S. had pressed Mexico to accelerate certain project timelines.
Why it matters: Raw sewage flows from Tijuana into coastal waters near San Diego have created public‑health and environmental impacts for decades and require binational cooperation and funding to fix. Committee members asked what level of congressional appropriation the U.S. would need to contribute and what timelines Mexico had agreed to for capacity improvements.
Zeldin said U.S. and Mexican officials recently discussed accelerating a diversion of roughly 10,000,000 gallons per day from the Tijuana River to the Tijuana Dam and moved an expected completion date forward from 2027 to 2026 for one project. He said Mexico recently completed the San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant and that the U.S. submitted what it believes to be a 100% solution to Mexico.
Zeldin emphasized that while Congress has appropriated “hundreds of millions of dollars” to upgrade U.S. treatment capacity, Mexico must also implement projects and account for population growth in Tijuana to avoid short‑term fixes that will be overwhelmed by future flows. He said the U.S. will pressure Mexico to accept a plan that will be durable over time and may consider interim capacity increases to reduce immediate discharges.
Members asked for congressional cost estimates for U.S. responsibilities; Zeldin said he did not have a specific line‑item figure for the full binational solution in front of him but noted congressional appropriations previously have supported upgrades to U.S. treatment infrastructure and that additional appropriations may be needed to support interim and long‑term measures.
On military training impacts, Zeldin said Navy SEALs are not swimming in raw sewage but that training patterns and locations have changed in response to water‑quality concerns. He described ongoing intergovernmental engagement, including visits with Mexican and U.S. officials and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
Members requested follow‑up estimates of U.S. appropriations needed to support a binational 100% solution; Zeldin said EPA will continue discussions with Mexico and with congressional offices about funding and timelines.
