Mexico Border Sewage Spill Dumps 140M Gallons Of Raw Sewage On California Communities

Tijuana River runs downhill from Mexico into the United States before draining into the Pacific Ocean

International Business Times - March 7, 2017 16 Comments

Image Credits: flickr, reizzil.



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A sewage spill that originated in Mexico dumped more than 140 gallons of raw waste into the Tijuana River, flowing into California for two weeks before it was finally stopped. Local authorities had to actively inquire about the stench in certain neighborhoods before information about the spill was released, reports said.
The spill began Feb. 2 while maintenance was performed on a sewage collection pipe, a report released Friday by the International Boundary and Water Commission said. It was finally contained two weeks later after millions of gallons of waste had already made it into the water. The Tijuana River runs downhill from Mexico into the United States before draining into the Pacific Ocean, exacerbating the ability of pollution to run into the ocean.
Serge Dedine, mayor of Imperial Beach, California, said he had to send a written inquiry to the International Boundary and Water Commission before any information about the spill was released, the Associated Press reported. Numerous beaches in San Diego County were affected by the spill, but they had already been closed due to runoff from the recent storms that pummeled the area.
“Border authorities charged with managing sewage infrastructure and reporting these spills must do better and be held accountable for this act,” he said in a statement Saturday. Dedine also called for the resignation of Edward Drusina, chief of the International Water Commission