Background
In coordination with NADBank, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Mexican National Water Commission (CONAGUA) and the U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC/CILA), CESPT and the State of Baja California have been working to address incidents of untreated wastewater discharges to the Tijuana River basin and the Pacific Ocean. As part of a binational commitment formalized through the Statement of Intent (SOI) signed by EPA and CONAGUA, as well as IBWC Minute 328, specific wastewater infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement projects are scheduled for implementation over the next few years with cost-share commitments from both countries.
The proposed project is included in the SOI and IBWC Minute 328 and will address deteriorated pipelines in various sections of the wastewater collection system that result in untreated wastewater discharges to the Tijuana River through the floodgates of the Tijuana River channel. The floodgates are part of the Tijuana stormwater system and were designed to manage water flows from regional storm events; however, due to existing leaks in the Tijuana wastewater collection and conveyance system, raw wastewater flows through the streets and enters the Tijuana River through these floodgates.
Project Scope
The project consists of replacing 35,708 feet of deteriorated sewer lines with diameters ranging from 8 to 24 inches in 13 critical sections of the wastewater collection system in the area of the Tijuana River:
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246 ft of the Centro Urbano 70-76 line
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755 ft of the Pasteje sewer main
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1,217 ft of the Ensenada secondary sewer main
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9,489 ft of the Rosario Salado secondary sewer main
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1,095 ft of the Infonavit Trabajadores line
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147 ft of the Poniente Antiguo line
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5,361 ft of the Cochimies secondary sewer main
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2,139 ft of the Conjunto Estadio line
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305 ft of the Los Reyes secondary sewer main
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9,104 ft of the Colinas de La Presa line
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2,129 ft of the Otay Constituyentes line
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2,894 ft of the Vista Alamar secondary sewer main
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827 ft of the Oriente sewer main in the Chilpancingo subdivision
Benefits
Replacing the deteriorated pipelines will increase system reliability by ensuring the wastewater collected reaches the respective treatment plants. As a result, the project will improve the quality of life of residents in the Project area, by eliminating wastewater spills and foul orders in their neighborhoods, as well as reducing the risk of waterborne diseases. Specifically, the project will prevent the discharge of approximately 4.6 million gallons per day of wastewater that runs into the Tijuana River, a transboundary water body flowing from Mexico into the United States. Therefore, the project will also benefit the U.S. by eliminating contaminated transboundary flows through the Tijuana River.
