New River project to help improve water quality going into the Salton Sea

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - 50 years ago, the community of Calexico protested the amount of pollution that was coming in from the New River.

Water that is coming in from industrial areas, wastewater, and landfills from Mexico make the river very polluted. 

In 2016, the State of California decided to secure $1.4 million in funding to start finding ways to mitigate water pollution.

“What the construction company is doing right now is diverging the water so they can build a pipe and the water is going to go into a pipe that’s going to run throughout the city and is going to meet the water that is already treated by the water treatment plant in Calexico and over there they will be pumping, pushing that water to continue the flow to the Salton Sea,” said the City Manager of Calexico Esperanza Colio Warren. 

The project is expected to be finalized by the end of 2024 and is a $46 million project the City of Calexico is excited about the project to help minimize the pollution for the community.