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Environment

Sewage-Contaminated Water From Tijuana River Forces Silver Strand Closure

The Silver Strand State Beach sign, April 30, 2017.
KPBS Staff
The Silver Strand State Beach sign, April 30, 2017.

San Diego County's Department of Environmental Health Wednesday extended the existing water contact closure area at the Tijuana Slough and Imperial Beach shorelines north to include the Silver Strand shoreline.

Sewage-contaminated runoff in the Tijuana River has been entering the Tijuana Estuary, and water sample results indicate contamination of ocean water now extends from the International Border north to the Silver Strand shoreline, officials said.

RELATED: EPA Wants To Spend $300 Million For Border Sewage Problem

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Signs warning of sewage-contaminated water will remain in place until sampling results indicate the ocean water is safe for recreational use.

On Tuesday, legislators announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will spend $300 million to address the problem of toxic sewage flowing across the border into San Diego County.

The money is part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, and will be used for the engineering, planning, design and construction of wastewater infrastructure at the border, officials said.