The Tijuana sewage crisis, which pollutes San Diego County beaches and sickens thousands, cannot be solved by downstream investments alone, experts say. The real problem is upstream in Tijuana, where an aging, underfunded wastewater system fails to capture sewage.
- Over $1 billion has been spent on the South Bay treatment plant in San Diego, but it remains insufficient. - Tijuana's sewer network is 75% in urgent need of rehabilitation, with 55 of 72 major pipelines requiring immediate attention.
- Tijuana's population is projected to grow from 1.8 million to 2.4 million by 2050, increasing wastewater flows beyond capacity. - A binational agency with long-term funding is needed to address the crisis, but political and financial hurdles persist.
Without sustained investment in Tijuana's upstream system, no amount of downstream spending can permanently end the sewage flows.