The County of San Diego is seeking qualified researchers to study whether past exposure to contamination in the Tijuana River Valley is linked to higher rates of illness in nearby communities, the county said.

Researchers can review the full request for quotes on the County’s BuyNet procurement portal; questions are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 9, 2026 and quotes must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2026. Available funding ranges from $200,000 to $250,000.

The county said the study may analyze de‑identified hospital discharge data, cancer registry data, mortality records and Census information to compare health outcomes across areas with different exposure levels. The goal is to determine whether certain illnesses appear more frequently in communities located closest to the pollution, including Imperial Beach, Nestor and San Ysidro, and to examine how environmental burdens overlap with social vulnerabilities in communities identified as Environmental Justice areas.

The county said the work will use trauma‑informed, community‑centered approaches to reflect residents’ lived experiences. The county did not set a timeline for the health study’s completion.

The announcement places the health study inside the county’s ongoing response to decades of untreated sewage, industrial waste and other contaminants flowing north through the Tijuana River; the county declared the ongoing sewage crisis a local emergency in 2023.

The county said the study builds on other recent work, including a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CASPER survey that represents over 41,000 households; the county said this was its second CASPER in two years and that results will be released publicly by the end of the year. The county also has two nearly $250,000 contracts with UC San Diego to identify and model harmful chemicals in the air and to carry out an Exposure Characterization Study as part of the Tijuana River Valley Chemical Pollution Impact Investigation.

More information, including the request for quotes and links to the county’s Tijuana River Valley & Beach Water Sewage Crisis website, is posted on the County News Center and BuyNet portal.

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County of San Diego

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