County Supervisors Advance Fix Plans For Tijuana River Pollution Hot Spot

SAN DIEGO, CA — In moves aimed at addressing the Tijuana River sewage crisis, the Board of Supervisors Wednesday gave preliminary approval to proposals calling for infrastructure construction at a sewage hot spot along Saturn Boulevard, and for a concurrent medical study.

Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Supervisor Paloma Aguirre brought the proposals forward via the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis. The measures call for $4.75 million from recently "unlocked" county funds, and, according to Lawson-Remer and Aguirre, would cover:

-- $2.5 million for Saturn Boulevard infrastructure, including a temporary pipe extension to mitigate toxic airborne sewage emissions;

-- $2 million for a comprehensive, multi-year study to track and quantify the health of residents exposed to chronic contamination;

-- $250,000 for an immediate study of historical health data to identify existing illness patterns linked to the river valley, and

-- formalizing agreements with the city of San Diego and U.S. Navy to speed up construction and site access.

"The Tijuana River sewage crisis requires both long-term solutions and action now," Lawson-Remer said earlier.

"We're moving on both tracks at once, advancing permanent fixes while taking immediate steps to reduce the toxic exposure San Diegans face every day."

The proposals will need final approval by the board of Supervisors at a later meeting, possibly in March in connection with a quarterly budget update, officials said. However, the county must start negotiating with city and naval officials now, according to Lawson-Remer's office.

Supervisors voted twice on the matter Wednesday -- with the Saturn Boulevard proposal, along with negotiations with San Diego city government and the Navy, passing 4-0. Supervisor Joel Anderson was absent.

In a second vote, Supervisor Jim Desmond opposed other recommendations, including the study. In a statement after the vote, Desmond said he believes "we know what the problem is, and we don't need another study."

The sewage hot spot along Saturn Boulevard -- which stretches from within San Diego city limits into a portion of the Tijuana River Valley Park -- became the focus of studies last year by a team from UC San Diego.

In 2024, the number of foul odor complaints spiked among residents near the Tijuana River.

The readings the team took found levels of hydrogen sulfide -- also known as sewer gas because of the rotten egg, sewage smell it emits -- 4,500 times more than what is typical for an urban area.

Strangely, though, the highest readings were not coming from the river itself or even the ocean, but from in an inland area in the Nestor neighborhood.

What the scientists found was that a wastewater discharge pipe was expelling thousands of gallons of sewage into a confined area, creating turbulence and foam. When the bubbles in the foam burst, they released gases into the air -- more than 1,000 different kinds, including many that are toxic, the scientists said.

These aerosolized pollutants then produced the noxious odors residents had noted for years.

Once the source of much of the smell was located, the UCSD team began monitoring gas levels at the site off Saturn Boulevard, what became known as the "hot spot."

"For too long, our communities have been told there was nothing to be done, it isn't that big of a deal, and to wait for someone else to fix it," Aguirre said. "That narrative is not only, unequivocally false, but an insult to the residents feeling the effect of the pollution every single day. We have to do something now -- the days of downplaying and brushing this crisis under the rug are over.
"This isn't just a sewage issue; it's a public health emergency, and it's time we fund it like one."

The project would also seek to formalize agreements with the city of San Diego and the U.S. Navy to expedite construction and site access.

In September, supervisors voted 3-2 to increase the county's recognized emergency reserves from $692 million to $1.327 billion, "unlocking" the difference for possible spending.

In related news, supervisors Wednesday also approved hiring a county pollution crisis chief "to bring urgency, accountability and coordination" in response to the sewage crisis.

Aguirre, then Imperial Beach mayor, advocated last year for that position as part of a five-point plan, which Lawson-Remer brought forward in June.

The crisis chief will work "on sewage-related response efforts, integrating public health monitoring, infrastructure mitigation, emergency response, environmental protection and intergovernmental advocacy under a single operational lead," Lawson-Remer's office said.

— City News Service