South Region Health Concerns

What the County is Doing

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Page originally published 02/16/2024. Page last updated 11/5/2024.

The County of San Diego cares for South Region residents and what they are experiencing around health and quality of life issues. County of San Diego officials are working with partners and other agencies to assess concerns and impacts from sewage and pollution in the Tijuana River Valley and surrounding communities.

On this page:

Background
What the County is Doing
Communications

Background

In September 2023, the Public Health Services (PHS) department in the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency was notified of a possible increase in “gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses” in the South Region. Since being alerted, PHS regularly:

Reviews San Diego County and regional data for trends in GI illnesses.
Reviews GI illness data from two additional clinics in the same geographic area.
Places PHS staff in the area to collect and review client data related to sewage spill related illnesses.
Meets with local agencies, including the Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) and San Diego Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD).
Meets with state agencies, including the State Public Health Officer, California Department of Public Health (CDPH); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Coastal Commission; and the Tijuana River Pollution Task Force.

To date, there have been no significant increases in reportable GI illness in the South Region.

Surveillance and investigation are ongoing.
The County Board of Supervisors has expressed its concerns, including on June 27, 2023, when the Board issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency for environmental and economic impacts due to the U.S-Mexico transboundary pollution crisis. The Board has continued to renew the local emergency every 60 days.

The County continues its efforts to determine public health risks to keep community members in San Diego County safe, healthy, and thriving. Learn more about health information regarding Contaminated Water and Environmental Odors.

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What the County is Doing

How can this be fixed?

A combination of several factors has led to the overflow of sewage, causing runoff water and contamination to go into the ocean on both the Mexico and U.S. sides, including:

Infrastructure issues at sewage treatment plants on the Mexico side of the border,
Maximum capacity to process sewage at the U.S. operated International Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWTP) located in the international boundary zone in the Tijuana River Valley Region, and
The region’s growing population and increased frequency of rain/storms leading to an increase in the volume of water flow that is larger than the plant was originally designed to handle.

Short and long-term fixes depend on major infrastructure repair on both sides of the border. The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) oversees the sewage treatment plant on the U.S. side of the border. It is a federal facility that receives funding from the federal government. The Mexican sewage treatment plant is overseen by the Mexican government.

The Tijuana watershed, which is located primarily in Mexico, sends most stormwater, unregulated flows, and sewage overflows into the Tijuana River Valley which is the principal connection to the ocean.
The Tijuana River Valley is mostly located on the U.S. side of the border and parallels Imperial Beach as it reaches the Pacific Ocean.
The County Board of Supervisors has expressed its concerns, including on June 27, 2023, when the Board issued a Proclamation of Local Emergency for environmental and economic impacts due to the U.S-Mexico transboundary pollution crisis. The Board has continued to renew the local emergency every 60 days.

What is the County doing to address recent health concerns in the South Region?

In February 2024, a webpage was created to keep track of health topics along the border.
In May 2024, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to declare a state of emergency related to the border pollution and sewage issue and is pushing Congress for more federal money and speed to repair and maintain infrastructure on the U.S. side of the border.
- The Board also approved buying and distributing air filters to people who smell the odors from the Tijuana River Valley.
In June 2024, the Board directed County agencies to participate in a task force led by the Mayor of Imperial Beach. The task force is coordinating long-term health studies with two universities, San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
Most recently, under the leadership of the CDPH, PHS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get more help in studying the health of the community in this area.

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