Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act

This legislation targets the long-running sewage and polluted stormwater that spill into the Tijuana River and the New River along the U.S.–Mexico border. It responds to years of beach closures, unsafe water, bad odors, and health risks for nearby communities and workers .

It would create EPA-led cleanup programs for both rivers, with detailed action plans due within one year and updates every five years. These plans would list top projects—on both the U.S. and Mexican sides for the Tijuana River, and projects that tackle cross‑border flows for the New River—covering wastewater fixes, stormwater control, and removing trash, sediment, chemicals, and bacteria, using the best available science and coordinated funding . EPA could give grants and technical help to U.S. and Mexican partners, including local governments, Tribes, nonprofits, schools, and the North American Development Bank; each river program is authorized for $50 million per year from 2026–2036 . A separate border‑wide water infrastructure program would fund studies and construction within 100 kilometers of the border, prioritizing projects from these action plans or those with the biggest public‑health gains and sustainable practices like water reuse and green infrastructure. The U.S. and Mexico could also build joint projects; the U.S. border agency can build and maintain priority projects in the U.S., and projects in Mexico can receive funding if they fit the plans and are approved.

• Who is affected
  • People living and working near the Tijuana River and New River, including beachgoers and border communities; local governments and Tribes on both sides of the border .
• What changes
  • EPA sets up dedicated river programs, writes action plans, and builds a priority project list using science; grants and technical help flow to U.S. and Mexican partners; a border‑wide program supports planning and construction; and the U.S. and Mexico can carry out joint projects .
• When
  • The Tijuana River program must be set up within 180 days of enactment; action plans are due within one year and updated every five years; funding for each river program runs from 2026–2036; regular budget submissions and progress reports help track results .