Thousands of people have their fingers crossed. They’re hoping the decades-long sewage crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border will get better in 2025.
Millions of gallons of water polluted by toxic sewage from Mexico still flows into San Diego County and the Pacific Ocean every day, but additional funding from Congress and increased pressure by local leaders is making a difference.
“Toxic Tide: Fighting the Sewage Crisis at the Border” takes a look back at the progress made in 2024 and it looks ahead at what still needs to be done.
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At the end of 2024, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre led another delegation to Washington, D.C. to petition President Joe Biden to declare a state of emergency.
“He has nothing to lose, and we have everything to gain,” said Mayor Aguirre. “We're going to do as much as we can with this administration. And we are absolutely going to start working with the next administration, with the Trump administration.”
WATCH NBC 7's special 'Toxic Tide: The sewage crisis at the border'
NBC 7 investigates the millions of gallons of raw sewage crossing from Tijuana into the United States every day, including how the crisis affects our health — and what must be done to end it.
Following the border sewage crisis
The sewage crisis certainly got more attention after NBC San Diego debuted “Toxic Tide: The Sewage Crisis at the Border” at the end of 2023. Millions of dollars were added to the fight, more people are speaking up for the communities, and researchers collected scientific evidence that raised red flags from Imperial Beach to the Centers for Disease Control.
“It is a fact that we have never made this much progress,” Aguirre allowed before admitting much more work needs to be done. “It's not just the infrastructure needs, but it's also the public health crisis that is happening right now and impacting all of San Diego.”
