California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced $46 million in funding to address persistent water quality problems along the California-Mexico border, adding to approximately $38 million the state has spent since 2019. The Tijuana River flows north from Mexico into southern San Diego County carrying sewage, trash and industrial waste, much of it originating from Tijuana’s strained and ageing infrastructure. The New River enters California near Calexico in similarly degraded condition, draining northward into the Salton Sea some 100 kilometres away. Both waterways have created chronic public health crises for border communities on the U.S. side. The new funding, administered through the State Water Resources Control Board, will be distributed via competitive grants opening June 11 through August 31.