South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant Launches Expansion

The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) celebrated the launch of the rehabilitation and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP), a project that will double the facility's capacity. The work at the San Diego, Calif., plant is being funded jointly between the USIBWC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the aim of drastically reducing transboundary sewage flows from Baja California, Mexico. The project’s early work to start this year includes setting up a bypass system for the primary facilities and performing in-depth structural assessments of the concrete structures. This will be followed with concrete repairs early in the new year. The project includes infrastructure rehabilitation and capacity expansion to double current treatment capacity of 25 million gallons per day (MGD) to reach 50 MGD average flow, with a peak hydraulic flow capacity of 75 MGD. The first phase, in the amount of $42.4 million, covers design for the full scope of the rehabilitation and expansion of SBIWTP. The USIBWC awarded the contract to PCL Construction of Long Beach, Calif. PCL selected Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., of San Diego, as the design firm. The full project cost, including design, construction, contingencies, project management, and other support services, is estimated at $600 million. Dr. Maria-Elena Giner, P.E., USIBWC Commissioner, celebrated the project's launch with other leaders from the U.S. and Mexico during a ceremony at the plant on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

• Read the complete IBWC press release (10.29.24)
• Regular updates on the work's progress will be provided on the IBWC website here