The project, authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1989 and formally agreed between the two countries in July 1990, was part of a regional approach to solve long-standing problems, particularly the flow of sewage-contaminated water into the ocean via the Tijuana River.
The International Wastewater Treatment Plant was created in an effort to mitigate pollution caused by untreated sewage coming from the city of Tijuana.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has assisted with funding the project under the rationale that the sewage flow from Tijuana often causes the closure of U.S. beaches due to bacterial contamination of the water.
The treatment plant supports a daily flow of 25 million gallons of raw sewage per day.
[4][8] Ultimately, this agreement made strides to increase the availability of clean drinking water in Tijuana and helped to ensure that pollution and degradation to the surrounding environment was minimized.