SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A class action lawsuit filed against the Veolia Water Treatment company gathered potential plaintiffs at an informational meeting held at the Pier South Resort Marriot in Imperial Beach Wednesday. Roughly 350 residents turned up to listen to what attorney James Frantz says is his plan for suing the water treatment company for allegedly failing to complete their duties in treating the toxic waste that flows through the Tijuana River Valley. “The behavior of the operator, the plant Veolia, should be ashamed of themselves. They are not taking care of business. They were assigned to do a job and they did not do their job,” said Frantz, the lead plaintiff attorney who filed the class action lawsuit. Newsom declares State of Emergency due to bird flu The stench in the area has been widely reported and residents have been complaining about respiratory and intestinal illnesses for years. “It started with stomach aches and then I started throwing my food up. I ended up in the hospital because I was dehydrated,” explained Alejandra Isabella Pelayo, a Coronado resident who worked at a camp in Imperial Beach. “I thought it was just me and then I saw all these people coming. I can’t imagine all these people being sick,” said Billy Bob Barnes, who's been an Imperial Resident of 5 years. FOX 5/KUSI reached out to Veolia, the water treatment operators, for comment but have not heard back. Lawyers gathering clients say they believe the lawsuit will take at least 2 to 3 years before it is resolved. Plaintiffs will be suing for unlimited damages.