Sewage water from the Tijuana River seeps into San Diego
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For decades, residents of San Diego and Tijuana have endured a sewage-like stench drifting from the Tijuana River. The odor has been so persistent and overwhelming that some families have relocated, as air quality conditions continue to worsen.
With billions of gallons of untreated sewage contaminating the river, local and state authorities have attempted multiple measures to address the problem. Last December, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement aimed at curbing the pollution flowing into the Tijuana River, including infrastructure upgrades and other steps to contain the crisis.
As part of that agreement, Mexico plans to install a new trash boom in the Tijuana River Valley to capture debris before it crosses into the United States, just weeks after President Donald Trump pressed Mexico to confront the issue and described it as a threat to the United States.
Beyond the construction of treatment plants on both sides of the border, Mexico has installed trash booms along the river to prevent debris from entering U.S. territory. According to Border Report's Salvador Rivera, Mexican authorities now planning to install a 450-foot trash boom inside U.S. territory to capture debris during storms.
The first booms were installed in November 2024 just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, designed by engineers to withstand the river's highly variable conditions.
Several beaches in San Diego have remained closed for years as sewage from Tijuana continues to make coastal waters unsafe. The ongoing conditions prompted California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter to visit the Tijuana River Valley this week, where she said she would declare a state of emergency if elected governor.
"Californians here have waited too long for relief from our federal partners that hasn't arrived," Porter said. "As governor, I will declare a state of emergency on day one to help unlock state, federal and international resources to clean this up."
Porter toured the area on Feb. 17 with County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, highlighting the environmental and public health risks facing the region.
"Tijuana River Valley sewage pollution is the most severe public health crisis in the Western Hemisphere, and its impacts are being felt every day by families in San Diego," Aguirre said, as reported by Border Report. "This isn't an abstract or distant problem — it's a crisis closing beaches, harming our economy and making people sick. It requires immediate attention."
As Aguirre noted, resolving the issue will require action not only from Mexico but also from state leaders willing to address the sewage crisis directly.
"With no excuses, we need somebody to actually lead," she said. "Not wash their hands and say, 'This is not a state matter, it's a federal matter.' We need somebody leading the state that takes this as seriously as it is."
Related-
Trump Urges Mexico To Address Its 'Water And Sewage Problem,' Calling it a 'Threat' To The U.S.
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Pilot Project Using Bubbles To Clean Sewage From Tijuana River Scrapped Deemed a Failure
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Tags: Mexico, United States, U.S.-Mexico border, Tijuana