San Diego County opened some beaches in Imperial Beach Sunday, providing a rare opportunity for residents to go into the water.
Sewage pollution in the Tijuana River leads to unsafe bacteria levels most of the time near the border. The county says beaches in Imperial Beach have been closed 861 days since the start of 2023 — more than 90% of the time.
Imperial Beach resident Lauren Rascher brought her three young children to play with their grandmother in the surf Monday. She said it's the first time she's allowed them in the water since they moved to the area seven years ago.
"We just didn't come — we were too scared," Rascher said. "We didn't know what safe levels were or weren't."
On Sunday the county opened beaches at the Imperial Beach Pier and north from there near Carnation Avenue.
Though, on Monday afternoon the county issued another warning — bacteria levels near the pier might again exceed state standards — and recommended not going into the water.
Tijuana River pollution is nothing new in the South Bay. Residents and elected leaders have pushed for years to get the problem under control.
Last week, the United States and Mexico agreed to expedite several projects on both sides of the border. The U.S. agreed to release funds to finish an expansion of a pump station by the end of August while Mexico said it would fund two projects starting this year that would divert 10 million gallons of sewage a day from the river.
Rascher said she hopes for more family beach days in the future.
"I feel like they're making headway, like it's getting there,” she said. “There's more attention brought to it so I feel like things are being done."
For the latest on area beach closures check the county's website, www.sdbeachinfo.com.
