Authorities on Friday closed the entire shoreline of a South California beach after sewage-contaminated runoff flowed north from the Tijuana River.
The Imperial Beach, located in San Diego County, is currently closed as authorities wait for the tests to show the water is safe. The closure comes after residents have been reporting smelling sewage for weeks.
“The stench was crazy, just terrible,” Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We’re just going into our round-robin of endless openings and closures because of the residual sewage in the river.”
Toxic Sewage
Border Patrol agents have repeatedly complained about health-related injuries they sustain while working in the toxic sewer sludge.
“A lifeguard got really sick from making rescues,” Dedina said. “One had to do CPR on someone who was in polluted waters.”
Last week, workers had completed repairs to a broken water pump in Mexico’s Tijuana River, Baja officials told LA Times. The broken pipes allowed millions of gallons of sewage-tainted water to escape last month.
On Sunday, health officials lifted the closure after the water quality testing confirmed it was safe for recreational use.
