Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the “San Antonio de los Buenos” Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in the municipality of Tijuana, Baja California, is just a few days away from being inaugurated. The new plant will enhance environmental sustainability in the region by preventing sewage from the border city from flowing directly into the Pacific Ocean.
The president emphasized this during her morning press conference, stating that the discharge of wastewater into the Pacific will be resolved soon, as the new plant will shortly be operating at full capacity.
Sheinbaum noted that while the new plant in Tijuana is nearly ready, there is a component still being developed on the San Diego, California, side.
She pointed out that former President López Obrador made an agreement for the treatment of these wastewaters: “One part, 40 percent, if I remember correctly, will be handled through this treatment plant, and 60 percent will go through San Diego. They are working on their treatment plant, which is a bit behind schedule, but the issue should be resolved soon.”
In 2024, the Mexican Government provided the necessary financial resources to the National Water Commission (Conagua), which signed a collaboration agreement enabling the Ministry of National Defense to begin the executive project and construction of the new plant in Tijuana.
Launched during the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the plant’s design and equipment selection were completed in just two months, and construction was finished in a record eight months.
The federal government, along with Conagua and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), indicated that with cutting-edge technology and an automated control system developed using national technical expertise, this plant is transforming the region’s environmental landscape.
The new facility has a treatment capacity of 800 liters per second. The system not only treats water before it is discharged into receiving bodies but also produces high-quality reclaimed water for reuse, helping to alleviate water shortages in the region.
In addition, the plant includes infrastructure and equipment for responsible sludge production, neutralizing it before disposal, as explained by Mexican authorities.
Notably, the plant features several key units, including automated pretreatment systems with coarse screens, a trash compactor, and flow meter; a pump platform with motors equipped with energy variators capable of processing up to 172,800 cubic meters per day.
It also includes a biological reactor divided into anoxic and aerobic zones, equipped with mixers, air diffusers, and advanced sensors for precise control, as well as an aerobic digester designed to stabilize sludge and comply with Mexican standard NOM-004-SEMARNAT-2002.
The plant also features automated systems that optimize operation and reduce sludge volume, as well as chlorine gas disinfection, ensuring sanitary safety through a robust dosing system and automated shut-off systems.
San Antonio de los Buenos is equipped with a remote monitoring and control center with over 22 strategically placed sensors, allowing automated monitoring and operation of the treatment units from four different points within the facility.
The ‘San Antonio de los Buenos’ Wastewater Treatment Plant is not just an infrastructure project. It is a commitment to the environment, innovation, and community well-being, the authorities emphasized.
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Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
