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2w ago

U.S., Mexico Sign Minute 333 Setting Mexico Deadlines on Tijuana Sewage

The pact shifts accountability to Mexico through concrete timelines with financial controls for long‑term upkeep.

The new Minute 333 is expected to reduce how often San Diegans see these yellow warning signs.
Image
This aerial view shows a treated wastewater river heading to the Pacific Ocean near Real Del Mar in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on August 12, 2025. Despite the work of a wastewater treatment plant, residents in Mexico's Tijuana see no difference in the quality of the water running through the Tijuana River. "Nothing has changed. The smell is intense," says local resident Marino Castro, "the water is brown and cloudy". The river is the subject of a common projet with the United States, seeking to end a longstanding transboundary sewage crisis. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP) (Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Signed Dec. 15, the accord requires a Tijuana water infrastructure master plan within six months, a Matadero Canyon sediment basin before the 2026–27 rainy season, and a 3 MGD Tecolote‑La Gloria plant by December 2028.
  • A binational group has three months to recommend on an ocean outfall for the San Antonio de los Buenos plant and whether to expand its capacity from 18.26 MGD to 43.37 MGD.
  • An operations and maintenance account at the North American Development Bank will reserve funds for specified uses, with officials emphasizing that no new U.S. taxpayer funding is obligated.
  • EPA leaders describe the deal as progress rather than an immediate fix, noting a 100‑day review they say cut roughly 12 years from construction timelines across projects.
  • Local officials and advocates welcome clearer Mexico‑side commitments yet question enforcement, costs, and the omission of the Saturn Boulevard aerosolization hotspot on U.S. soil.