South County
Officials will break ground this month on a new sewage system aimed at partially alleviating the chronic problem of Mexican sewage seeping into southern San Diego County.
A ground breaking for the latest system is scheduled for Oct. 30, said U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Coronado). The system is expected to be in operation early next year.
The $350,000 system, to be constructed in the border area known as Smuggler’s Gulch, is designed to capture some 500,000 gallons of Mexican sewage daily and return it to Mexico. For years, sewage from Tijuana has flowed downhill into southern San Diego County, polluting farmland, coastal areas and ocean.
Hunter said Friday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to provide $125,000 for construction of the system. Other funds will come from the State of California ($150,000) and the International Boundary and Water Commission ($175,000), a joint, U.S. and Mexico agency that will run the facility. The funds remaining after construction will be used for operation and maintenance of the system.
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