(May 6, 2025) San Diego, CA — On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to support two critical legislative proposals aimed at expanding the region’s ability to confront the ongoing Tijuana River sewage crisis — a decades-long public health and environmental emergency that has severely impacted South County communities.

“This is about public health, environmental justice, and basic human dignity,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who brought the item forward. “Our families deserve clean water, safe air, and healthy beaches — and these common-sense bills will help us get there faster.”

The Board’s action signals formal County support for:

• State Senate Bill 10 (Padilla): Would authorize SANDAG to allocate toll revenue from the upcoming Otay East Port of Entry to fund sewage treatment and mitigation efforts.
• House Resolution 1948 (Peters): Would allow the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to accept non-federal funds to advance urgently needed clean water and flood control projects.

These proposals build on the $650 million already secured by San Diego’s Congressional delegation to upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant — a historic investment to modernize a long-neglected federal facility.

“I am so thankful to the County for their support as we all work towards solutions that will end this crisis,” said Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). “Our region has been at the mercy of the whims of Congress, playing political games with money that could have put an end to this problem long ago. Senate Bill 10 authorizes SANDAG to renegotiate a deal that allocates federal toll funds to finally create dedicated funding to address the source of this pollution. Without a permanent source of funds, this problem will poison yet another generation of San Diegans.”

“I’m grateful to have the support of our local leaders, who have been on the frontline of the fight against cross-border sewage pollution in our community,” said Rep. Scott Peters, sponsor of H.R.1948. “This is a collective problem, and we need buy-in from across the federal government, and state and local governments, to ensure the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) doesn’t fall into severe disrepair again. 

Why It Matters:

• Empowers Local Action: Gives regional and state governments the ability to fund solutions when federal efforts lag.
• Protects Health and Jobs: Helps safeguard the safety of frontline workers, military personnel, and residents exposed to chronic pollution.
• Promotes Equity and Sustainability: Delivers resources to immigrant and working-class communities that have long borne the brunt of cross-border contamination.

Since Lawson-Remer began championing this issue, $650 Million has been awarded to repair and expand the SBIWTP, and residents impacted by the sewage crisis have benefited from the Supervisor’s new public health actions, including: a community health survey, a public health risk dashboard, the development of a decontamination protocol, increased testing by local, state and federal health agencies, and the establishment of a task force with doctors and local health experts. 

Earlier this year, Lawson-Remer partnered with the San Diego Air Pollution Control District to distribute 10,000 air purifiers to households most impacted by the air pollution, and to purchase the County’s first mobile air-quality van to detect health concerns in real-time. 

“While we work to address the harm done by this environmental and public health crisis, we must provide certainty for ongoing and future water infrastructure maintenance projects,” added Rep. Peters. “This legislation would ensure federal and nonfederal entities can help invest in our region's long-term health and well-being.”

“We need every tool in the toolbox to solve this crisis — and these bills expand our capacity to respond,” Lawson-Remer said. “We’re moving beyond slogans to deliver real solutions for clean water and healthy communities.”