SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — On a bluff just above the Pacific Ocean about 5 miles south of the border, the San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant is 97.5% finished.

Its opening is widely anticipated by people on both sides of the border, as it was supposed to be in operation back in September.

The construction is being supervised by Mexico’s Secretary of Defense, which says the plant is now in its “last phase of construction and about to begin testing.”

It is replacing an antiquated plant that had not been in operation for many years, allowing for millions of gallons of raw sewage to flow straight into the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis.

On many days, prevailing currents pushed the effluent north of the border, forcing the closure of beaches in cities such as Imperial Beach and Coronado.

The plant will be able to treat 235 gallons of water tainted with sewage per second, ‘ and Amador Barragán says it will greatly reduce the trans-border pollution` problem.