IMPERIAL BEACH (KGTV) — A new break in a Mexican sewer line has sent raw sewage to South Bay communities, taking a toll on residents who live by the Tijuana River and Imperial Beach in what locals call an ongoing "sewage saga."
Officials with the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission say they were working on improvements at the Hollister and Goats pump station when a sewage line broke in Mexico, sending 120,000 gallons of sewage through two layers of berms and vacuum trucks all the way to Monument Road. The line broke because of recent rain.
At Imperial Beach, a bright yellow sign and empty coastline served as a reminder of the scope of the sewage stench. The beach was at one point closed for over 1,000 days because of contaminated water.
About a mile away, Leon Benham has lived along the Tijuana River Estuary for over 60 years, where raw sewage has contaminated an otherwise beautiful backyard.
"When the offshore flow comes in, we can smell the stink, you know, we can smell it," Benham said.
The signs of that impact show up in strange ways, like helping his plants grow. Benham grows broccoli, Swiss chard and parsley in his garden.
"They basically flourish because the sewage water is high in fertilizer," Benham said.
But the contamination also brings down the value of his home and his neighbors' properties. Just a few miles away from Coronado, his home is worth millions less, and the stench is a contributing factor.
"The prices on their homes are $5, $4 million — the price on our home is $7 to $900,000" Benham said.
A founder of the nonprofit Citizens for Coastal Conservancy, Benham has been advocating for effective solutions for years. Imperial Beach residents like him are all too familiar with the stench at Saturn Boulevard.
"I'd say that's 30 million gallons a day. And of course, you can smell, and you look at its content, it's pretty much all sewage," Benham said.
He also visited the pump station where crews had been working and where containment was supposed to hold.
"They're pumping it out and putting it into the truck that allows those guys down there to work on it," Benham said.
The U.S. and Mexico have agreed to what they call permanent solutions, including a $600 million expansion of the South Bay Treatment Plant, the largest investment ever made to address this crisis.
Though Benham is skeptical and says he's tired of the lip service and just wants clean air.
"Our local leads and our justice system should be prosecuting this, but they don't. Instead, they give us air filters. Come on, really?" Benham said.
The coastal community remains caught in a cycle of contamination. The damaged sewer line is now contained, and officials say they'll keep vacuum trucks in place until all flows are fully under control.
