California releases $50M to address transnational Tijuana River sewage crisis
The State Water Resources Control Board announced Thursday it will grant nearly $50 million in state funds to projects that address water contamination at the U.S.-Mexico border. Gov. Gavin Newsom touted it as an example of California’s initiative in the face of the White House’s “failing” to maintain water quality infrastructure.
The Tijuana River Valley, which straddles the border, has been overrun for decades by untreated wastewater and sewage, forcing border towns like Imperial Beach and Chula Vista to intermittently close its beaches due to pollution. The issue has become a political football between the U.S. and Mexican governments.
The International Boundary and Water Commission, whose U.S. component is guided by the State Department, is responsible for maintaining the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment plant in San Ysidro to treat water that flows into the river on the U.S. side.
The commission has “fallen far short,” Newsom said in a press release Thursday.
The State Water Resources Control Board announced Thursday it will grant funding via Proposition 4, a state bond that awards projects that reduce bacteria and trash, to address public health and environmental issues due to transnational pollution.
In 2024, voters approved Prop. 4, a $10 billion bond that allows the state to fund projects tackling wildfires, clean energy and extreme heat; improving drinking water infrastructure; and shoring up flood and drought protections. The application process is open from Thursday, June 11 to Aug. 31.
“People in San Diego County shouldn’t have to worry about getting sick, losing access to their beaches and living with polluted air,” Newsom said in a statement. “California has stepped up repeatedly, but we can’t solve a decades-long federal failure on our own. The Trump administration must do its part, honor its commitments, and finally deliver the lasting solutions this community deserves, and they have a moral obligation to provide.”
IBWC U.S. Commissioner W.C. “Chad” McIntosh, whom President Donald Trump appointed last year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Newsom’s office said the state has allocated $38 million since 2019 on water improvement projects pertaining to the Tijuana River. It said it “stands ready to assist the federal government as it fulfills its responsibility to address the crisis on the river.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
