The County of San Diego is taking its fight over the festering Tijuana River sewage crisis to Washington after hiring a D.C.-based law firm to press the feds for help — hoping to finally tackle the stench and pollution that has kept South Bay beaches shuttered for years.
County leaders have inked a contract worth up to $637,200 over five years with Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK), to lobby officials for help in addressing the cross-border pollution, according to county records reviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The deal underscores mounting frustration locally as millions of gallons of untreated wastewater continue to flow north from Mexico, contaminating beaches, triggering health warnings, and sickening residents in communities like Imperial Beach. Under the agreement, the firm will push members of congress and federal agencies to secure funding and infrastructure upgrades aimed at stemming the tide of sewage spilling into the river and ultimately the Pacific Ocean.
The Tijuana River crisis isn’t just a leak — it’s a deluge of waste that has reportedly amounted in 100 billion gallons released into the river in the last five years, resulting in 1,393 consecutive days of beach closures near the border.
“On the worst days we get headaches, we get a little bit of brain fog, we get nausea, lose appetite, it’s hard to sleep,” Tom Csandi, Imperial Beach resident, told KPBS.
“There is strong alignment among local, state, and federal partners in recognizing the importance of a long-term solution to the Tijuana River crisis,” Ana Schwab, BBK’s partner and director of government affairs, said to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“Our role is to help ensure this issue remains a priority among federal stakeholders so that it continues to receive the funding and policy support necessary to implement lasting solutions.”
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