According to the San Diego County Department of Health and Environmental Quality, some of the most polluted beaches include Imperial Beach and Coronado. These areas often face concerning levels of bacterial contamination due to urban runoff and environmental factors.

On Saturday, May 25th, it marked 900 days since Imperial Beach closed due to contamination from sewage flowing from the Tijuana River. These pollutants haven’t only impacted the water but also the air and soil.

San Diego State University published a study detailing the contamination problem affecting the air and soil in the area, all due to the billions of gallons of sewage flowing from the Tijuana River each year. At this moment, it’s uncertain when the beach will reopen to the public.

Impact on the health of residents near Imperial Beach

Residents in the area have been experiencing constant health issues caused by this situation. From intense headaches to chronic coughing, waking up in the middle of the night due to the strong odor of sewage is a common occurrence.

Local residents mention, “Many people have cough… Persistent coughing for no apparent reason, without other symptoms. It’s not like a cold, sneezing, or runny nose. At night, it seems to worsen. People don’t open windows at night. If you have air conditioning, like window ventilation grills, they don’t use it.“

Similarly, visitors have had to adjust to this “new normal” where they no longer visit the beach, avoid walking barefoot, and warn others not to enter the water at all.

The situation of the Tijuana River and the neglect of this problem

The Tijuana River, with its frequent flows of sewage and chemical-laden water, ranks among the most threatened rivers in the United States, as per a report published by American Rivers. This report underscores the threats to drinking water across the nation.

This river winds for over 100 miles through northwest Baja California and the Tijuana Estuary, a vital breeding and stopover site for 370 bird species, before reaching the Pacific Ocean in San Diego.

However, years of neglect and lack of investment in treatment plants in Mexico and the United States have led to violations of the Clean Water Act and beach closures as billions of gallons of partially treated wastewater from Mexico have flowed through the Tijuana River into San Diego. Residents on both sides of the border bear the health and economic costs.

Five years of complaints and over 900 consecutive days with Imperial Beach’s shores closed due to high levels of fecal contamination compelled the governments of Mexico and the United States to agree on how to process the 25 million gallons per day (94.5 million liters) of sewage that Tijuana discharges into the ocean. However, this won’t happen until 2026. In the meantime, environmentalists and politicians in California are pressuring their government.