Toxic sewage flowing north from Mexico continues to force beach closures along San Diego County’s South Bay, leaving communities such as Imperial Beach and Coronado dealing with unsafe water, health concerns and growing frustration over a crisis that has repeatedly disrupted one of Southern California’s best-known stretches of coastline.
NBC 7 San Diego South Bay reporter Joe Little said the pollution is moving through the Tijuana River and into the Pacific Ocean, where contaminated water has affected beaches from the border north toward Coronado. Even as repair and upgrade projects move forward on both sides of the border, the problem remains a regular part of life for people who live, work and spend time near the shore.
Coronado Has Lost Months Of Beach Access
Little described Coronado Beach as one of the country’s most popular and recognizable beaches, a place that on a normal day is filled with visitors, birds and the familiar activity expected along the waterfront.
But the beach has not been operating normally for a large part of 2026.
According to Little’s NBC 7 report, the County of San Diego said beaches in the area had been closed for more than 84 days during the year, amounting to roughly a third of 2026 at that point.
The effects were especially visible about two months before the report, when Little said a discolored tide could be seen reaching the beach near the Hotel del Coronado. The water appeared yellow and brown, a dramatic contrast with the clean shoreline tourists expect when visiting the area.
For a destination built around the ocean, losing safe access to the water for weeks at a time is much more than an inconvenience. Beach closures affect recreation, local businesses and public confidence, while residents are left wondering whether conditions will improve enough for them to safely use a coastline that is normally part of everyday life.
Surfers Say The Pollution Is Affecting Their Health
Little also traveled to Imperial Beach, where he found resident Matt Henry surfing near the pier with only a handful of other people.
When Little asked why he was still going into the water despite the pollution concerns, Henry said staying away from surfing came with its own cost.
“My mental health suffers so bad if I don’t surf,” Henry told NBC 7.
Henry said he believes he has developed some tolerance after spending so much time in the water, but he also made clear that exposure has taken a physical toll. He said that during the previous year he suffered from Giardia, pinkeye, ear infections and a staph infection.
Those illnesses underline why repeated beach closures cannot simply be dismissed as warnings that cautious swimmers can ignore. When people who spend large amounts of time in the ocean begin connecting serious infections and sickness to the water, the pollution becomes a direct quality-of-life issue rather than an abstract environmental problem.
Henry also described problems away from the shoreline, saying the polluted conditions have sometimes affected the air badly enough that residents do not want to open their windows.
“There’s times when we can’t even open the windows,” he said. “It’s no good.”
Pollution Is Flowing Through The Tijuana River
Little attributed the contamination to heavily polluted water traveling from Mexico through the Tijuana River and eventually reaching the Pacific.
The sewage flow has long created difficulties for communities closest to the border, but the NBC 7 report showed how far north its effects can travel when ocean conditions move contaminated water toward Coronado.
Coronado Mayor John Duncan told Little by text that dealing with the transborder sewage crisis remains one of his highest priorities and occupies a significant amount of his time.
Duncan placed responsibility for the contamination reaching Coronado and the South Bay entirely on sewage originating in Mexico.
“100% of the sewage contaminating Coronado and the South Bay is Mexican sewage crossing into U.S. land and waters,” Duncan said. “Zero is from the United States.”
That statement reflects the political pressure surrounding the issue as local leaders push for repairs to move quickly enough to produce noticeable improvements. For residents, the source of the contamination matters, but the more immediate question is when the water they see from their homes and beaches will consistently become safe again.
Repairs Are Targeting A 2028 Solution
There is at least a longer-term plan in place.
Little reported that both Mayor Duncan and the Environmental Protection Agency said repair and upgrade work in Mexico and the United States remained on schedule, with the broader effort aimed at a complete fix by 2028.
That timeline offers some hope, although it also means communities may have to continue dealing with periods of contamination and closures while the infrastructure work is completed.
The challenge is especially frustrating because the problem is occurring along beaches that are valuable not only for recreation but also for tourism and local business. Little described the continuing closures as damaging to the economy, public health and the environment, three problems that often overlap when coastal pollution becomes persistent.
A closed beach can mean fewer swimmers and surfers, but it can also mean fewer customers for nearby businesses and more anxiety among residents who do not know how long a particular episode will last.
Residents See Some Reason For Hope
Despite his own experiences with illness and polluted water, Henry told NBC 7 that he feels more optimistic about the future than he has in the past.
“You know, I have more faith than I ever have before,” he said.
That optimism stands out because it comes from someone who continues to see the problem firsthand. Henry is still surfing in Imperial Beach despite the risks, but his comments suggest that ongoing repair efforts have given at least some residents reason to believe the sewage crisis may finally be moving toward a solution.
Little’s report nevertheless shows that the current reality remains difficult. Coronado, usually presented as a premier Southern California beach destination, has already spent a substantial portion of the year dealing with closures, while Imperial Beach residents continue living closest to the polluted water moving north from the border.
Until the larger infrastructure fixes are finished, South Bay communities remain caught between progress that may be happening behind the scenes and conditions at the shoreline that can still turn unsafe. For people who depend on these beaches for recreation, work or simply the ability to enjoy where they live, that gap makes every new closure another reminder that the crisis is not over yet.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.
