Improving Water Quality in the Tijuana River Valley

Project #3: Treat Wastewater from the International Collector at the ITP

Overview

This project expands treatment capacity in the U.S. to treat all
wastewater from central Tijuana currently pumped to the San
Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant (SABTP) for
treatment and discharge out the South Bay Ocean Outfall (SBOO),
This project will:

•	Expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment
Plant (ITP) to 50 MGD1 to provide secondary treatment
capacity for International Collector flows.

•	Reduce demands on SABTP and the amount of untreated
wastewater that is discharged to the Pacific Ocean via SAB
Creek.

•	Potentially reduce raw sewage spiils that currently reach the
Tijuana River.

Project at a Glance

Location of
Operations

Entry Points
Addressed

Targeted
Pollutant(s)

United States

SAB Creek, Tijuana River

Untreated Wastewater

COST ESTIMATES

Capital

$299M

Annual O&M2

$10M

40-year lifecycle

$70QM

TRANSBOUNDARY TIJUANA RIVER IMPACT3
(Annual Benefit)

Flow day reduction

-

Flow rate reduction

-

Sewage reduction

-

SAB CREEK IMPACT
(Annual Benefit)

Flow rate reduction

26%

Sewage reduction4

50%

Will this project increase public health and beach
water quality?

This project will reduce impacts to the U.S. coast by capturing
and treating wastewater from Tijuana that would otherwise be
discharged to the Pacific Ocean without adequate treatment at
the SABTP.

Does this project improve work conditions for
government activities?

Implementation of this project is expected to reduce health
risks among Navy personnel who train along the beachfront
near the U.S. Navy Base in San Diego, California. However, it
will not resolve existing impacts to U.S. Border Patrol
operations and personnel, who are sometimes exposed to
untreated wastewater while performing their job duties near
border infrastructures.

BEACH CLOSURE IMPACTS
(Annual Benefit)

Closure reduction5	32%

LEGEND

1	MGD: million gallons per day

2	O&M: Operations and maintenance

3	This project benefits the Tijuana River when
Mexican facilities are not operational

4	Estimates of sewage reduction are based on
the reduction of BOD (biochemical oxygen
demand), a standard surrogate for sewage

5	Beach closure reduction estimates are based
on Scripps Institution of Oceanography models


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NW Waves
(Winter)

Project 3: Treat Wastewater from the International Collector at the UP

Imperial

San Diego

South Bay
Ocean Outfall

South Bay Water
Reclamation Plant International
(SBWRP Treatment Plant (ITP)

(Expanded)

PACIFIC
OCEAN

Northern Currents
(Summer)

Pump
Station 1A

International

Collector

UNITED STATES



-to

'4*



%



PB CILA

MEXICO

San Antonio de los
Buenos (SAB) Creek

Tijuana


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