The South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant became fully operational at 35 million gallons per day, up from its previous capacity of 25 million gallons.
The additional treatment was an interim step toward a much larger federally funded expansion designed to capture more sewage flows crossing from Tijuana before they reached the river and Pacific Ocean.
For South Bay communities, the milestone offered measurable progress after years of beach closures and air-quality concerns. It did not by itself end the crisis, which also depends on collection systems and treatment work on both sides of the border.