The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission has been cited again for violating air or water quality standards – this time for noxious odors.
The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on July 29 issued a notice of violation to the federal agency and its contractor, Veolia, for causing a public nuisance due to a June malfunction at its Hollister Pump Station that led to a five-hour spill of about 302,000 gallons of untreated wastewater.
On July 31, commission spokesperson Frank Fisher said in an emailed response that the agency was reviewing the notice. The U.S. section of the binational commission manages federal infrastructure, including the San Ysidro-based South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, along the border.
“The USIBWC is committed to making sure the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant complies with all federal, state, and local laws while we repair, rehabilitate, and expand the facility to address issues related to transboundary flows originating in Tijuana,” he added.
Hollister Pump Station went offline on June 16 after a pressure relief valve on a surge tank stuck open, causing the spillage onto Hollister Street near Monument Road in the Tijuana River Valley. Nearby are several farms and horse ranches.
The Air Pollution Control District said it received approximately 150 complaints since July 21 regarding sewer gas odors due to the spill.
“All San Diego County residents have a right to enjoy clean air without being affected by foul odors,” Air Pollution Control District Officer Paula Forbis said in a statement. “SDAPCD recognizes this is a complex and longstanding issue, but we will enforce our rules to ensure that South San Diego County residents are not burdened by odors from improper maintenance of the plant.”
The federal agency has 10 days from receipt of the notice to correct the violation, which could result in monetary penalties, a civil suit or criminal prosecution, according to the district’s website.
Sediment buildup caused the pressure relief valve to fail, Morgan Rogers, operations manager for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, said during a July meeting of the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission Citizens Forum. On July 31, officials declined to say whether regular maintenance could have prevented the valve from failing.
According to updates Rogers has issued since the June spill, the commission has been working to bring the pump station back to service.
As of July 19, the latest update, the agency replaced the pressure relief valve with a new one and was expecting to replace the 25-year-old surge tank. It has also had its “four pump sumps” cleaned and reinstalled, which “will increase the reliability of Hollister pump station,” he said.
Hollister has experienced multiple issues in the past, including in August 2023 when Tropical Storm Hilary took out all four of its pumps, which have since been replaced. Record-breaking volumes of flows, comprised of storm water, groundwater and raw sewage, have spilled over from Tijuana, forcing failing infrastructure to take in more flows than they were designed to treat.
Monday’s notice of violation comes ahead of another order the commission is working to comply with. In December, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board said the federal agency had to repair the South Bay plant to meet water quality standards for discharges to the Pacific Ocean by Aug. 15.
The plant’s aging equipment has failed to remove solids and bacteria from wastewater over the past years due to receiving Tijuana wastewater past its capacity of 25 million gallons per day. International Boundary and Water Commission officials said they are confident that they will reach the August deadline.
A plan to double the plant’s capacity is in the works. The agency is expected to award a contract in the fall.
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