San Diego, California – For years, yellow warning signs have lined the shoreline of southern San Diego County, urging beachgoers to “Keep Out of the Water” due to dangerous levels of pollution. Now, there may be a glimmer of hope — though a cautious one.
An International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) spokesperson confirmed Monday that Mexico’s San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is once again operational , treating upward of 18 million gallons of raw sewage daily. The news comes after years of inaction, during which the failing facility discharged untreated sewage directly into the Pacific Ocean, impacting beaches from Tijuana to Coronado.
Shuttered in 2020 due to disrepair and poor maintenance, the plant’s failure worsened an already dire cross-border pollution problem. Repairs began in early 2024, with officials initially promising completion by September of that year. But delays due to construction setbacks, weather, and supply shortages pushed the timeline back — first to February, then March, then April…