South County elected officials are seeking answers to what appears to be a massive sewage spill on the Mexican side of the border.
San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez‘ office said Wednesday that over a two-week period, 143 gallons of raw sewage flowed into the Pacific Ocean, heavily polluting the Tijuana River Valley and beaches in south San Diego.
“The stench of raw sewage was widespread and consistently being reported with nothing but silence in response from authorities on both sides of the border,” Alvarez’s office said in a statement.
The county Department of Environmental Health has closed beaches from the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge to Coronado, citing sewage-contaminated runoff.
Alvarez, whose district stretch to the Mexican border, and Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina have reached out to federal officials on both sides of the border to hold those responsible accountable. They plan a news conference on Thursday to discuss developments.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Mexican officials said the discharge resulted from a project to repair a sewer pipe at the confluence of the Alamar and Tijuana rivers, south of the international border. U.S. officials weren’t notified about the work, however.
— From Staff and Wire Reports