Foul play: 300,000-gallon sewage spill leads to 150 odor complaints at border, citation

The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and its contractor were officially cited Tuesday for causing a public nuisance.

The notice of violation came after the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD) got around 150 complaints about foul odors coming from the area. Officials with the SDAPCD said the complaints had all been filed in the week prior to the notice.

The control district conducted an investigation after the complaints began flooding in and determined that the IBWC did not properly maintain the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station, which directs "untreated transboundary water flow to the IBWC wastewater treatment plant."

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According to a news release issued Wednesday by the SDAPCD, the pump station broke on June 16 and discharged about 300,000 gallons of sewage, which eventually made it to the Tijuana River Valley, creating the noxious smell that was reported by locals.

“All San Diego County residents have a right to enjoy clean air without being affected by foul odors," said Paula Forbis, SDAPCD Air Pollution Control Officer. “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.”

San Diego County's Imperial Beach community, as well as Coronado, have been exposed in the past few years to millions of gallons of raw sewage that made it's way the the river valley, prompting extended beach closures in both those communities.

The wastewater enters the watershed and Tijuana River, which flows north across the international border into the Tijuana River Estuary, which neighbors Imperial Beach. That river water also eventually weaves its way to the Pacific Ocean. A U.S.-owned wastewater treatment plant built in San Ysidro just north of the border to clean the Tijuana River water is also in desperate need of repair.