CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
May 7, 2024 {{section.number}}c
COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON CROSS BORDER WATER QUALITY QUARTERLY UPDATE RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a quarterly report from the City Council Subcommittee on Cross Border Water Quality and provide direction, as appropriate, to staff regarding the City’s Cross Border Water Quality advocacy efforts.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Tijuana’s regional wastewater infrastructure is decades old, has inadequate capacity to treat and convey wastewater and suffers from repeated breaks and system failures. These failures lead to spillage and wastewater discharge into the Tijuana River, its tributaries and outfall into the Pacific Ocean, polluting the ocean waters off Imperial Beach, Coronado and beyond. The City of Coronado has been tirelessly advocating for wastewater treatment solutions since 2016, along with other regional partners.
The City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Cross Border Water Quality was authorized by the City Council on April 2, 2023 and reauthorized on February 6, 2024. The Subcommittee members include Mayor Bailey and Councilmember Duncan with support from City Manager Friend, Assistant City Manager Winney and Andre Monette with BBK, the City’s federal advocate.
The Ad Hoc Committee meets monthly to coordinate advocacy efforts on the local, state and federal level. The Ad Hoc Committee developed a work plan to focus advocacy efforts and ensure the involvement of the broad spectrum of partners in long-term solutions to the cross-border water pollution. Major efforts of the Ad Hoc Committee include:
• Conducting ongoing meetings with Coronado’s Federal delegation to urge expedited construction of the current suite of $480 million of improvements and to appropriate future Federal funding to complete the remaining improvements (~$150 million); • Encouraging federal authorities to ensure the Mexican government fulfills its commitment to build its projects (particularly the SAB Treatment Plant rehabilitation) with its pledged $144 million;
• Advocating for consistent and ongoing funding of the EPA Border Water Infrastructure Grant Program (BWIP) for maintenance and operations for the IBWC treatment plant and pollution prevention infrastructure at the border;
• Expanding coordination with local jurisdictions and the state for a cohesive advocacy and information sharing.
ANALYSIS:
This report provides an update on Subcommittee activities and progress over the calendar quarter from January 2024 through March 2024.
U.S. EPA / IBWC and Mexico Wastewater Infrastructure Projects In 2022 the federal government allocated $330 million for a suite of improvement projects to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (International Treatment Plant) in San Ysidro and surrounding river system. To provide international cooperation and funding, the United States and Mexico signed Minute Order 328 in July 2022, a binational agreement committing to implementation of projects to reduce and eliminate cross-border pollution. Through this treaty, the Mexican government is contributing $144 million for improvements to canyon collectors and the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant (SAB Treatment Plant) in Mexico.
For the U.S., the infrastructure projects are managed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), which operates the International Treatment Plant and the collection systems on the U.S. side of the border. The following infrastructure improvements are planned to adequately address cross border wastewater collection and treatment:
• Expanding the capacity of the existing International Treatment Plant from 25 million gallons per day (mgd) to 50 mgd;
• Building an additional treatment plant on the U.S. side of the border to treat river flows; • Installing trash booms in the Tijuana River on the U.S. side of the border; and • Additional repairs to the wastewater canyon collection system.
With appropriate funding, these combined projects (including Mexico’s improvements) are expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2029 and would result in a 90% reduction in the number of days of transboundary wastewater flow in the Tijuana River and an 80% reduction in untreated wastewater discharged to the Pacific Ocean six miles south of the border.
Status of Infrastructure Projects
Significant progress has been made in recent months regarding repairs, but momentum must continue to ensure their timely implementation. Updates for the first quarter are as follows:
• January 1, 2024: the Los Laureles I Pump Station project rehabilitation, funded by Mexico, has been procured and is expected to be constructed in 2024. This project will reduce cross-border flows in Goat Canyon on the US side of the border. • January 11, 2024: Mexico held a groundbreaking ceremony for the project to design, construct, and rehabilitate the SAB Treatment plant located south of Tijuana, Mexico.
The project is fully funded by Mexico at a cost of $37 million and will include the rehabilitation of the existing SAB Treatment Plant as well as wastewater treatment upgrades. Completion of the project is scheduled for October 2024. The rehabilitated SAB Treatment Plant will treat 18 million gallons per day which will reduce the volume of untreated wastewater discharged into the ocean at SAB.
• March 2024- IBWC completed repairs to the primary sedimentation tank #5 at the SBIWTP. The tank removes solids from the influent wastewater. This is the first of five tanks at the SBIWTP to return to operation. All were taken out of service in early 2023 due to excess flows into the plant from Mexico and solids overloading the primary treatment and damaging the tanks. Three tanks are required to be in operation for proper wastewater treatment. Tanks #1 and #2 will be cleaned and returned to service in July. With the return to operation of tank #5, we should see improvement in the effluent water quality discharged from the plant and a return to NPDES Permit compliance with water quality standards in August 2024. In addition to the tanks, IBWC has ordered 26 new primary and secondary pumps for the SBIWTP that will help create redundancy within the plant.
• March 2024- IBWC states they plan to award the design-build agreement for the SBIWTP Expansion Project this summer, with estimated project completion in 2027.
Status of Federal Funding for Infrastructure Projects
In 2022, the total costs for the infrastructure improvements were estimated at $640 million.
Subsequent to the appropriation of the $330 million by the federal government, it was revealed that the existing IBWC treatment plant suffered from deferred maintenance estimated at $150 million in addition to the $330 million which was needed to rehabilitate the plant prior to the expansion and enhancement projects. Advocacy to overcome this funding set-back immediately commenced and continues to be a major feature of the City’s current efforts.
Below is an update on notable milestones for funding of cross border water infrastructure projects in the first calendar quarter:
• January 12, 2024: EPA and IBWC finalized the Interagency Agreement which will transfer funds set aside by the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to IBWC for the design and construction of the International Treatment Plant expansion project. IBWC will now take the lead on the project.
• March 23, 2024: President Biden signed a Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bill that will inject $200 million to the International Boundary and Water Commission’s budget, including $156 million for water quality construction projects. The funding is a $103 million increase from the previous fiscal year and will facilitate repair and expansion of the International Treatment Plant. The bill also included a funds transfer authority to enable IBWC to receive funds from other federal and non-federal agencies, enabling them to find other funding streams to support the critically needed improvements to the SBIWTP.
City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Cross Border Water Quality Advocacy Mayor Bailey and Councilmember Duncan traveled to Washington D.C. in January 2024 to meet with Congressmembers to garner support for the President’s supplemental appropriations bill.
Meetings were held with over 15 members of Congress and key appropriations committees to discuss the impacts of cross border pollution on Coronado and the broader San Diego region and to solicit support for the supplemental funding bill.
In March 2024, Councilmember Downey also traveled to Washington D.C. as part of her role on the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR) Committee. She met with seven key Congressmembers to seek further support for supplemental infrastructure funding for the SBIWTP.
Advocacy conducted by the City Council, San Diego regional partners and others was critical in the March approval of $200 million in additional infrastructure funding by Congress. We are particularly thankful for the work of our local Federal congressional delegation to move this funding legislation forward, including Congressmember Scott Peters and Senators Butler and Padilla.
IBWC Citizen’s Forum
Councilmember John Duncan currently serves on the IBWC Citizen’s Advisory Board. The IBWC Citizens Forum (CF) was established in 2002 to facilitate the exchange of information between the IBWC and members of the public, government agencies, and other interested stakeholders.
Councilmember Duncan has advocated for the interests of all South Bay cities, including Coronado, as a member of Citizen’s Forum.
The CF meets quarterly with their most recent meeting held on March 24, 2024 in Coronado.
Updates were provided on water pollution sources on the Tijuana River, Minute 328 Projects and IBWC Activities in the San Diego Region. Copies of the presentations provided at each meeting can be found on their website at https://www.ibwc.gov.
Next Steps
IBWC has a number of internal assessments taking place to develop a more refined schedule for implementation of infrastructure improvements and future funding needs. The Subcommittee will continue their advocacy work to ensure support of necessary funding for additional wastewater infrastructure improvement projects and to advocate for expeditious completion of the projects, including those in Mexico. This will include determining the most advantageous time to conduct future advocacy meetings with representatives in Washington D.C.
Updates will continue to be posted on the Cross Border Water Pollution project website at:
https://www.projectcoronado.org/cross-border-water-pollution.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
ALTERNATIVE:
The City Council could direct staff to pursue alternate direction on cross border water pollution efforts.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT:
Not Applicable.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
No notice required.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
Submitted By: City Manager's Office / Tony Winney