California

A prominent portion of the Southern California coastline has been closed for more than 1,000 days because of sewage pollution flowing across the border from Mexico.

Beaches on the Imperial Beach coastline, in the southern part of San Diego County, have been closed since Dec. 8, 2021, Assemblymember David Alvarez, who represents the Imperial Beach area, said in a news release. While occasional dirty-water warnings are common in California, a multiyear closure is certainly not.

In the past five years, more than 100 billion gallons of contaminated sewage have flowed from the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean.

The California Legislature recently passed a resolution calling for the federal government to declare a state of emergency for the ongoing sewage crisis. This isn’t even the first time Imperial Beach has had to deal with such contamination issues. According to Assembly Joint Resolution 12, the pollution has gone on for decades.

The water quality along the Imperial Beach coastline has been linked to 34,000 annual illnesses, and approximately 76% of those illnesses are related to sewage pollution, the resolution said, citing research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Assemblymembers said the contaminated waters have caused health problems, such as headaches, rashes, infections and breathing problems, for some in the area. The continuous flow of untreated sewage has also decreased tourism, hurt local business and lowered property values, according to the legislation.

City officials in San Diego and Imperial Beach have declared a state of emergency several times over the years and are asking the United States Congress and President Joe Biden to provide more funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s plan, which was implemented to address the crisis.

Last month, federal officials approved a $600 million project that would fund the repairs and rehabilitation of the main wastewater treatment plant for the sewage. The sewage is supposed to be filtered through the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego County, which filters the water from Tijuana, Mexico, before it’s pumped into the Pacific Ocean.

The repairs, though, on the nearly three-decade-old plant could take up to five years.

In a letter addressed to Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre said that timeline is “unacceptable.” Aguirre asked Newsom’s office to assist in proposing a solution to the sewage crisis and declarea state of emergency.

“Imperial Beach and residents in south San Diego County are slowly being poisoned by this crisis, and our voices are not enough,” Aguirre said in a news release. “We need the state to stand with us and demand a comprehensive solution.”

Sep 4, 2024 Photo of Madilynne Medina

Madilynne Medina is a news reporter for SFGATE. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she earned a B.S. in journalism from San Jose State, where she served as executive editor for the Spartan Daily, and has also worked at NBC Bay Area. When she’s not out in the field reporting, she’s likely trying a new workout or listening to The Weeknd. You can contact her at madilynne.medina@sfgate.com.