Tecolote–La Gloria is a new wastewater treatment plant the State of Baja California plans to build in Tijuana, about five miles south of the border.
Why it matters
Parts of Tijuana's coastal area discharge untreated wastewater to the Pacific. The plant is meant to treat some of that flow, adding treatment capacity as the city grows.
Where it stands (as of September 2026)
- Proposed, not funded. Committed in Minute 333, with a capacity of 3 million gallons a day and a deadline of December 2028.
- The State of Baja California is responsible for its development, design, and construction.
- This plant has been started before. Construction began more than 15 years ago and stopped at about 55% complete after a contractor dispute. The project has received international funding three times without being finished.
- No construction start or secured funding has been reported under the new commitment.
Who's responsible
The State of Baja California.
What to watch
Design and funding announcements. At 3 MGD it's modest next to the roughly 18 MGD reaching the Punta Bandera shoreline untreated, so it's one piece of the coastal fix, not the whole answer.
Related
Punta Bandera outfall and expansion. What reaches the ocean.
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Minute No. 333
- U.S. EPA, announcement of Minute 333, December 2025
- Office of Rep. Scott Peters, U.S., Mexico sign new agreement, December 2025
- Zeta Tijuana, Baja California to build the Tecolote–La Gloria plant under Minute 333, December 2025
- Zeta Tijuana, funded three times and still not built, August 2026
- North American Development Bank, Tecolote–La Gloria wastewater treatment plant, on the 55% complete halt