Mexico sewer rehab project is diverting untreated wastewater into Tijuana River
A sewer rehabilitation project in Mexico is resulting in untreated sewage being diverted into the Tijuana River at a rate of about five million gallons per day since April 8, according to The Coronado Times.
Mexico is working to activate its PBCILA lift station, which is usually turned off during the dry season, to help remove as much wastewater as possible from the river. The U.S. has loaned a front-end loader in the meantime to help remove sediment near the lift station and expedite the work, The Coronado Times reported.
The International Collector is a pipeline that carries raw sewage from Tijuana to treatment plants. Due to its age, the pipeline is prone to leaks. Mexico is relining the existing pipeline and will connect a bypass line as a temporary solution.
Phase 1 of the project – installing the new pipeline – is expected to be complete by April 17, according to a statement by Maria-Elena Giner, commissioner for the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). The IBWC and Mexico are discussing a potential April 21 start date for Phase 2, in which Mexico will rehabilitate its old International Collector.
The International Collector is the largest wastewater conveyance pipe in Tijuana. Once rehabilitation work is complete on the pipeline, it will have the capacity to carry up to 60 million gallons per day of untreated sewage to treatment plants in the U.S. and Mexico (Coronado Times).
The IBWC, the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of State convinced Mexico to implement a bypass solution rather than working to complete the project in just one phase. This decision will prevent more than half a billion gallons of wastewater from reaching the river.
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