SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Many students and concerned residents of Coronado voicing a prolonged problem.
“You know, that’s where they come for their summer fun. That’s where they come to swim in the water and they can’t do any of that now,” Laura Wilkinson Sinton with StopTheSewage.Org said.
The sewage closing South Bay beaches.
“I used to love the beach. My mom would tell me, ‘Danny, we could leave you at the beach and find you at the exact same spot the next morning,’ But obviously I can’t come to the beach anymore without the risk of getting sick,” Danny Vinegrad Founder & President of Stop The Sewage Student Club at Coronado HS
“I believe that it’s unacceptable for the situation that’s occurring right now,” Dr. Maria-Elena Giner, Commissioner of USIBWC, said.
The Commissioner of the U.S. International Boundary And Water Commission holding a community meeting on Thursday night.
Giving them an update on what’s being done to stop the flow sewage into the Tijuana River on the US and Mexican side of the border.
“Rehabilitation and expansion of the plant is key to this side of the border. On the Mexican side is building their new wastewater treatment plant at San Antonio De Los Buneos,” Giner said.
The impact from the U.S. side when it comes to the sewage.
“So the expansion of the waste water treatment plant will allow for us to also a portion of the wastewater that would normally to San Antonio De Los Buenos,” Giner said.
There’s another fix that could provide some needed relief sooner than later on Mexico’s side.
“But what is key right now is the operation of what they call PB1A, a wastewater line, that takes water from the Tijuana River and eliminates transboundary flow during dry weather and take it to Punta Vendera,” Giner said.
The Commissioner said that once-down pipe’s the main issue for the last two years when it comes to beach closures.
She has cautious optimism for when Mexico has a chance to pressurize the line once our rainy season passes possibly in early April.
“If that line has no issues, then we should be able to that transboundary flow or all of the polluted water in the Tijuana River taken out. And so we will no longer that will close the beaches,” Giner said.
There’s hope for what the head of USIBWC has laid out but hoping more can be done to secure the funding to get it all done.
“She is getting stuff done. But, the fact of the matter is the federal procurement process takes years. It takes years,” Wilkinson Sinton said.
