The U.S. and Mexico on Thursday signed an agreement to address the harmful flow of sewage into the Tijuana River and across the border.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin met with Mexico’s Secretary of the Environment and National Resources Alicia Bárcena Ibarra to sign a pact that requires the nations to expedite stormwater and sewage projects on both sides of the border.
The U.S. withheld some funds from projects until Mexico fulfills its obligations, but under the terms of the memorandum of understanding agreed to release EPA Border Water Infrastructure Program funding to complete the rehabilitation of Pump Station 1 and the Tijuana River collection pipes.
In exchange, Mexico agreed to fund and begin construction on two projects this year which, when completed, will divert 10 million gallons a day from running into the river and the Pacific Ocean.
Zeldin and Bárcena met at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s council session in Mexico City.
“The Trump Administration is proud to deliver this massive environmental and national security win for Americans in the San Diego area who have been living with this disgusting raw sewage flowing into their communities for far too long,” Zeldin said.
In Mexico City now, on behalf of the USA and Trump Admin, I am signing a detailed Memorandum of Understanding with Mexico to achieve a 100% PERMANENT and URGENT solution to the decades old Tijuana River Sewage Crisis! The Trump Admin’s top 3 goals/milestones in this agreement…
— Lee Zeldin (@epaleezeldin) July 24, 2025
The EPA administrator visited San Diego in April to receive an update on trans-border sewage. He promised the following month to fast-track expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“I made a commitment to the residents that I would spearhead an effort to construct an all-encompassing plan to finally bring the sewage crisis to an end,” he said. “Since my visit, the Mexican and United States’ governments have been working collaboratively to urgently finalize a permanent, 100% solution to this longstanding issue.”
Other stipulations in the agreement include Mexico paying the remaining $93 million of “Minute 328” funds, an infrastructure agreement signed in 2022, reducing the timeline for projects and adding additional work as needed as Tijuana’s population grows.
While Zeldin presented the agreement as a partisan, Democrats also have sought Congressional remedies.
Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, said he’d “continue to work with anyone and everyone who wants to help us fix this mess.
“I very much appreciate the consistent, persistent focus that the EPA and the International Boundary and Water Commission continue to give the cross-border sewage crisis that plagues South San Diego County and our coast,” he wrote on X. “In particular, I thank both agencies for their ongoing work with the design and engineering consulting team to find ways to shorten the timeline for progress.”
Today, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin held a news conference to announce that the United States and Mexico have signed a new memorandum of understanding that further commits Mexico to completing the projects agreed to in the Minute 328 Treaty.
I very…
— Rep. Scott Peters (@RepScottPeters) July 24, 2025
Earlier this month, Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress introduced legislation to help combat the ongoing pollution by appointing the EPA as the lead agency on the crisis.
Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, both D-California, and Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, along with Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, introduced the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2025.
In it, the legislators call for the EPA to create a new geographic program to manage the watershed through a comprehensive water quality management plan.
Zeldin thanked his Mexican counterpart, as well as President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs for working towards a deal. He also gave a nod to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others in Washington.
Since 2018, during the first Trump administration, more than 200 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities.
The number of water-contact closures at South Bay beaches has skyrocketed, and air quality has been affected as well, impacting public health and the environment.
“Addressing this issue is a top priority for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and we are unwavering in our commitment to advocat(e) for long-term, binational solutions that protect our communities and support a thriving business climate,” said Chris Cate, chamber president and CEO.
On Wednesday, the chamber and the Consulate of Mexico in San Diego signed an agreement to strengthen economic ties through trade and binational initiatives.
City News Service contributed to this report.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
