28 Apr, 2010
Baja Mexico on Its Way to Cleaner Water (for Both Sides of the Border)
Posted by: Beach Reporter In: beaches| california
San Diego, CA–If you’ve read our recent blog post from the past several months about water quality at California’s beaches, you would have seen that Tijuana River and Tijuana Slough have had some gnarly problems with water quality that troubles not only locals of south San Diego County, but visitors who want to swim in clean water.
The problems across the border don’t stay in Mexico, unfortunately, but now there’s something new to help fix problems that have persisted for years as untreated sewage flows into the rivers and oceans.
20 years ago approx. 50% of sewage from major Mexican cities south of the border–Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Tecate, ran directly into the Tijuana River, which dumps into the Pacific Ocean, flowing along the coast north to Imperial Beach, Coronado and San Diego.
Some years ago a facility under direction of the City of San Diego treated some of the water from Tijuana, but that wasn’t enough to solve the problems. Another facility, La Morita sewage treatment plant in Tijuana, is expected to provide coverage to handle about 90% of sewage.
“This is a significant step toward our goal of making Tijuana green,” the governor said during a ceremony inaugurating the plant.
Environmentalists on hand for the opening hailed it as significant progress toward cleaning up the border.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is contributing $2.7 million, and has invested $56 million to pay for 18 infrastructure projects in cities along the border.
We have previously reported that residents of Imperial Beach area can qualify for and obtain free hepatitis vaccines if they plan to spend time in the water and oceans of the region. Hopefully one day the need for these preventive measures and the beach closures will be but a memory. Until that day…
San Diego beaches are general top notch. Enjoy a stay at America’s favorite sunshine destination!