Mexico to Dump Millions of Gallons of Sewage into Tijuana River—U.S. Faces Environmental Crisis

Mexico is set to release approximately 400 million gallons of sewage into the Tijuana River, an ongoing environmental problem that has plagued the U.S.-Mexico border for decades. This sewage will likely flow into the United States, causing serious repercussions for the local environment, including beach closures and health risks for nearby communities.

The sewage discharge is set to happen as maintenance is carried out on Tijuana’s sewer system, which has been a long-standing issue. According to San Diego Supervisor Jim Desmond, when maintenance is done on the Mexican side of the border, instead of diverting the sewage to treatment plants, it is directed into the Tijuana River, which flows downhill into the U.S.

“They put it into the big drainage ditch called the Tijuana River that flows downhill, and unfortunately downhill is the United States,” Desmond said. “Every time there’s maintenance, the sewage ends up on our side, in our ocean and on our beaches.”

This contamination has caused recurring environmental problems, with the U.S. constantly facing the fallout from Mexico’s inadequate sewage system. The situation is worsening, and the sewage runoff from the Tijuana River continues to poison the local ecosystem, leading to beach closures along the California coast.

The issue has drawn attention from officials on both sides of the border. Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced plans to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego to address the concerns over the ongoing sewage problem.

While the situation has been ongoing for years, Desmond believes that it is time for the federal government to take stronger action against Mexico. “There needs to be some type of repercussions for those actions,” Desmond said. “Unfortunately, their lack of an adequate sewage system is our problem. It’s not their problem.”

The ongoing pollution from the Tijuana River presents serious health risks, as it flows near residential areas, shopping malls, and even military training sites. Local residents, including children and elderly people, have reported illnesses from the fumes and exposure to the toxic runoff.

Desmond suggested that the U.S. could use leverage to force Mexico to address the problem, including restricting the flow of people across the border and revisiting visa policies. “We can’t continue to allow this to happen,” Desmond emphasized.

This ongoing environmental crisis highlights the need for international cooperation to protect both U.S. and Mexican citizens from the severe health and environmental impacts of this pollution. The U.S. government is expected to ramp up efforts to address the issue, but the path forward remains uncertain.