Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act
The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act would create two cross-border water quality restoration programs aimed at improving the Tijuana River watershed (covering both the American and Mexican portions) and the California portion of the New River watershed. It establishes federal programs within the Environmental Protection Agency framework to plan, fund, coordinate, and implement water quality restoration, stormwater management, and related public health protections, with a strong emphasis on green infrastructure, water reuse, and cross-jurisdiction cooperation with Mexico. The bill also creates a separate border water infrastructure program to support the overall mission and contemplates a joint governance structure that includes federal agencies, state and local governments, Indian Tribes, Mexican authorities, non-profits, and financial institutions. In addition to the two watershed programs, the bill contemplates a separate Title III for a United States-Mexico border water infrastructure program and a Title IV on the role of the U.S. Commissioner and international agreements. It sets up a formal action plan, a priority project list, annual budget processes, and regular congressional reporting. The overall aim is to reduce transboundary pollution, protect public health, improve recreation and coastal resources, and increase resilience against stormwater and flood-related impacts by coordinating funding, planning, and implementation across U.S. and Mexican jurisdictions. Notes on terms: - Transboundary flows: water, sewage, or stormwater that cross the U.S.-Mexico border. - Green infrastructure: natural or nature-based approaches (like wetlands, bioswales, permeable surfaces) used to manage stormwater and reduce pollution. - Minute 320/328: specific International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) measures and sanitation projects previously negotiated between the U.S. and Mexico. - USMCA references: alignment with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement-related actions to mitigate contaminated transboundary flows.
Key Points
- 1Establishment and governance
- 2- Creates the Tijuana River Public Health and Water Quality Restoration Program (federal) and a California New River Public Health and Water Quality Restoration Program (state-level focus under federal coordination).
- 3- Each program has a designated Program Director with management and cross-agency coordination responsibilities, plus a requirement to convene a management conference to guide implementation.
- 4Action planning and priority projects
- 5- Requires development of a Water Quality Action Plan aligned with U.S.-Mexico sanitation commitments and related IBWC/USMCA measures.
- 6- The plan must include a priority list of cross-border projects (Mexican and American sides) to manage wastewater and stormwater, remove debris, and address pollutants; include cost estimates, funding sources, and coordination mechanisms.
- 7Funding and cost-sharing
- 8- Authorized funding of $50 million per year for 2026–2036 to carry out Title I activities, with up to 5% for administration.
- 9- The Administrator can enter cooperative agreements and can accept or require cost-sharing; funds may come from the border water infrastructure program or other sources, and some funds may be transferred to the Commissioner as needed.
- 10- Grants, technical assistance, and interagency agreements can be provided to a wide range of U.S. and Mexican entities, NGOs, and higher education institutions.
- 11Reporting and budgeting
- 12- The President must include these programs in the annual budget submissions, with multi-year spending projections.
- 13- The Administrator must report to Congress every two years on project funding, status, and the effectiveness of operations and maintenance.
- 14New River program specifics
- 15- Recognizes historical pollution problems in the New River and builds on prior U.S.-Mexico collaborations (e.g., Minute 288, prior treatment plants, and the New River Improvement Project).
- 16- Creates a California-focused program under similar governance and funding structures to coordinate restoration activities with local and regional partners (Calexico New River Committee, New River Improvement Project committees, etc.).
- 17Title III and Title IV (briefly)
- 18- Title III indicates a border water infrastructure program (details not provided in the excerpt).
- 19- Title IV references the role of the Commissioner and international agreements (details not provided in the excerpt).