The San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant, located about 5 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border, is now 97.5% complete, with its opening eagerly anticipated by communities on both sides of the border. Originally scheduled to open in September, the plant is in its final construction phase and is expected to begin testing shortly.
This new facility replaces an outdated plant that had been non-functional for years, leading to millions of gallons of raw sewage being dumped directly into the Pacific Ocean every day. On many occasions, ocean currents carried this untreated sewage northward, resulting in the closure of popular beaches in U.S. cities like Imperial Beach and Coronado.
Victor Daniel Amador Barragán, the person in charge of Mexico’s water supply, explained the significance of the new plant: “Governments came and went without fixing the old facility, but the current administration, under Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Olmeda, stepped in. They’ve essentially built a new facility, and now it’s time to activate it and start treating the water.”
Once operational, the plant will be capable of treating up to 235 gallons of water tainted with sewage per second, a significant improvement over the previous plant. This upgrade is expected to greatly reduce the amount of raw sewage entering the ocean, addressing a major source of trans-border pollution.
Despite the progress, environmental groups like WILDCOAST, based in San Diego, warn that more needs to be done. Fay Crevoshay, the group’s director of communications, stated, “The plant will only be able to treat half or three-quarters of the water flowing into it. If untreated sewage continues to flow into the ocean, the situation will still be harmful.”
The San Antonio de los Buenos plant is considered a crucial part of the solution to reduce ocean pollution from Mexico. However, additional projects in the Tijuana River Valley, located just north of the border, are also necessary. This area continues to suffer from the flow of untreated sewage, toxic chemicals, and trash into the U.S. through the Tijuana River. These efforts, along with the new treatment plant, are seen as vital to addressing the ongoing pollution problem that affects both nations.
Related topics: