An aging, federal wastewater treatment plant at the U.S.-Mexico border that allows Tijuana sewage to foul San Diego’s southern shorelines has finally secured a contractor to begin crucial repairs and double its current capacity.
The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), the federal agency that operates the facility, said Wednesday that it had awarded a $42.4 million contract to Long Beach-based PCL Construction.
That contract covers the design phase of the multi-phased project, which is expected ultimately to cost as much as $600 million. Officials said the firm hired Stantec Consulting Services of San Diego to carry out the design work. Some construction is anticipated to begin later this year, they added.
The project involves rehabilitating several parts of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant that repeatedly break down and expanding its capacity of treating 25 million gallons of wastewater per day to 50.
Federal officials said it could take about five years to complete construction — about a year and a half faster than expected — because the agency awarded the contract using what it calls the progressive design-build contract delivery method.
Such builds are typically used for complex construction projects and often cut the timeline for development, compared to traditional, design-bid builds, which are more often used for smaller-scale and lower-risk projects.
Some early construction is expected to begin later this year and include excavating the plant’s primary sedimentation tanks, which remove solids from wastewater, relocating the site’s fence, and installing shoring to protect utilities.
The full project cost — including design, construction, project management, support services and contingencies — is estimated at $600 million, according to the IBWC.
Funding currently falls far short, however, which is why the agency says it is a phased project.
The IBWC has more than $400 million — $300 million that Congress approved in 2019, plus another $156 million it granted in March.
San Diego’s congressional delegation secured the more recent funding after the federal agency revealed last year that as much as $150 million was needed to cover deferred maintenance before the plant could even be expanded.
On Wednesday, several congressional leaders applauded the contract award and pledged to secure the rest of the money needed.
“After years of investment and attention to planning and permitting, today’s announcement marks a welcome new design and construction phase in the fight to end the beach closures, polluted ocean water, and rancid smell of sewage that residents of the South Bay and Coronado, our Navy SEALS, and border patrol agents have had to put up with,” said Rep. Scott Peters.
Tijuana’s crumbling wastewater system has suffered several pipeline breaks and other challenges in recent years — a situation compounded by heavy winter storms.
The South Bay plant has provided a backstop for Mexico by routinely taking more wastewater than it was designed to handle.
But that’s taken a toll on the aging facility, which first came online in 1997. The plant’s five primary treatment tanks have been frequently clogged with sewage, garbage and sediment — discharging tens of million gallons a day of partially treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
As a result, the IBWC’s damaged facility has racked up numerous clean water violations, according to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Last week, officials told the water board that it would not be able to meet its Aug. 15 deadline to bring the broken wastewater system into compliance with federal standards. The agency said that continuing equipment failures and political challenges made it impossible to get its infrastructure to work in time.
Officials said the South Bay plant will continue to operate throughout the design and construction.