Local Update: Problems with San Diego waters

Sarina Feng, Sneha Lele, and Joanne Liu • October 9, 2024

Various points along the San Diego coast are experiencing environmental issues, still waiting to be resolved. Tijuana River and Imperial Beach faced sewage and pollution problems, while San Elijo Lagoon experienced a wildlife population decline.

Tijuana River sewage and pollution

The Tijuana River Valley is facing sewage and pollution issues, largely affecting Southern Region communities in San Diego. As polluted waters and raw sewage flowed into the Pacific Ocean, public health concerns have continued to arise. Photo Courtesy of Ana Ramirez

The County of San Diego and Center for Disease Control and Prevention is performing a health survey from Oct. 17 to 19 to investigate sewage and pollution issues in the Tijuana River Valley and its impact on South Region communities in San Diego.

The survey, the “Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response,” involves randomly selecting homes in the region to conduct a total of 210 “in-person, voluntary and anonymous” interviews regarding impacts of sewage exposure on residents and their families. The county officially requested an Epi-Aid, or an urgent, rapid response investigation from the CDC on June 25 in response to the worsening Tijuana River sewage crisis and longstanding transboundary pollution issues between the United States and Mexico.

From October 2023 to May 2024, San Diego Coastkeeper, a nonprofit environmental organization, reported 31 billion gallons of untreated sewage and waste flowing into the Tijuana River and coastal waters. The Tijuana River ranks ninth on America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2024 report.

In light of mounting public health concerns, the San Diego State University School of Public Health released a report on Feb. 13, detailing the dangers of pollution to soil, water and air from pathogens and chemicals carried by the contaminated river. The SDSU SPH received a grant from the Prebys Foundation to continue research on the public health impacts of pollution. In addition to assisting the CASPER initiative, the school is also conducting its own year-long survey.

Air quality in the region is also impacted. Besides coming directly from the source, pathogens and chemicals from polluted ocean water can disperse further inland through marine aerosol. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District reported receiving “hundreds of odor complaints” from local communities. Currently, the agency is monitoring hydrogen sulfide gas, an odorous byproduct of untreated sewage known to pose serious health risks. The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency is also tracking emergency department visits for gastrointestinal, asthmatic and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms in the area.

By collecting information from residents, the CASPER initiative aims to identify the region’s specific needs as it faces the far-reaching impacts of Tijuana River pollution, which span land, air and sea. On Oct. 3, volunteers distributed information about the upcoming assessment door-to-door in affected South Region neighborhoods.

by Sarina Feng

Imperial Beach sewage

Beaches in the Southern Region of San Diego remain affected by the sewage and pollution. Imperial Beach has been closed for more than 1000 days until it recently opened as its waters met the state’s health standards. Photo Courtesy of City of Imperial Beach

The 2023 Clean Water Report ranks Imperial Beach, Calif. as one of the most polluted bodies of water in the nation, with 100% of samples collected which fail to meet the state health standard for recreational waters. According to NBC 7 San Diego, the California State Legislature recently passed a resolution urging Congress and President Joe Biden to fix the sewage crisis at the border. The Tijuana River, a heavily polluted river in the city near the Mexican-American border, has been releasing an endless amount of raw sewage from Tijuana into the Pacific Ocean, leaving both Mexico and any waters near it with an environmental and public health crisis.

According to Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Imperial Beach is hit with about “40 million gallons of sewage every day,” and surfers, lifeguards and locals have noted that the issue has “gotten worse over time,” according to interviews by NBC 7 San Diego.

Since the beach first closed on Dec. 8, 2021, it has been closed for over 1000 days until just recently, when an area of water near the Silver Strand Peninsula just near the Imperial Beach pier opened up on Sept. 23 after meeting the state’s threshold for safety.

The pollution has led to the temporary shutdown of numerous utilities and tourist attractions lining the beaches over the 1000 day closed period, such as surf P.E. classes, and has impacted the economy, as “within a one-mile radius of the closed beaches, prices have been most significantly impacted selling for around 20% less than they would sell if the ocean was not polluted.”

This is an additional issue along with emerging concerns over public health, degrading infrastructure and the repercussions of the damage on the communities in San Diego.

Mostly due to the incompetence of the sewage infrastructure on both sides of the Mexican-American Border, the crisis has enlarged.

However, Tijuana is now making a repair to the biggest sewer main that runs from the Mexican-American border to the center of the city, which requires the closure of a piece of the sewer system. In doing this, the waste will go into U.S. waters. While Mexican and U.S. officials assure the temporary effects of the repairs will help with future illegal spills, coastlines will be heavily contaminated during these repairs and will not be able to stay open to the public.

According to Voice of San Diego, if the sewer main fails, raw sewage will spill back into the river and into the oceans in excessive amounts.

The repairs will take two weeks and begin in mid-October. During the process, every day of those two weeks, 20 million gallons of city sewage will go into the river, which will later flow into the Pacific Ocean right below Imperial Beach. (Voice of San Diego)

The U.S. maintains its own level of cleanliness as best it can through its wastewater treatment plant, the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, funded through the International Boundary and Water Commission of U.S. and Mexico, which cleans more than 25 million gallons of sewage water per day. The Tijuana and U.S. sewage issue has been a large concern since 1934.

The Coronado Times states that other critical repairs are underway for the plant, as construction of two gates on the eight-foot-wide pipe will help carry wastewater from Mexico straight to the wastewater plant mentioned above, costing just under six million dollars.

After several decades of the Tijuana sewage crisis, the SBIWTP may be able to have some control over the wastewater flowing into the U.S. beaches, and looks to significantly lower the bacterial contamination rates at each of the sites.

With both countries leading large scale repairs, Imperial Beach may be able to restore its original environment eventually.

by Sneha Lele

San Elijo Lagoon wildlife decline

Marine wildlife in the San Elijo Lagoon is facing a rapid population decrease due to sand accumulation and inadequate oxygen levels. Dead fish were spotted near water surfaces by local residents. Photo Courtesy of Nature Collective.

The marine life in the San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve is facing a population decline due to the drop in water levels as an excess of sand spills into the lagoon, according to NBC 7 San Diego.

In 2022, a $120 million dollar restoration project of the San Elijo Lagoon was completed by Nature Collective, a nonprofit organization in San Diego County that works to restore habitats and keep ecosystems like the San Elijo Lagoon healthy. The project was funded by the half-cent Transnet tax, a local tax administered by San Diego Association of Governments and used for San Diego’s transportation infrastructures. According to NBC 7 San Diego, the restoration project succeeded in installing a pipeline to aid the lagoon’s tidal flow, which “increased flow by about three times [more].” However, more sand entered along with the increased tidal flow.

“This year we had to open [the inlet to the lagoon] twice, and we were finding the rate of [sand] accumulation was higher than it ever has been in the past, and we were unable to keep up with that,” Jennifer Bright, the COO and Chief Philanthropy Director of Nature Collective, in an interview with ABC 10news San Diego said.

The overflow of sand has forced an inlet closure that is fatal for marine life in the lagoon. These conditions cause insufficient oxygen levels in the brackish water, putting the entire ecosystem at risk. Furthermore, the lagoon’s hypoxic, or oxygen deficient, state was further increased by the recent heat wave, which raised water temperatures, according to Nature Collective.

These conditions have caused visible damage to many organisms. An abundance of dead, floating fish have recently been spotted by local residents, according to ABC 10news San Diego.

According to the Nature Collective, “Over 1,000 plant and animal species pass through – or make their home in – San Elijo. Many are rare or endangered.” As a vital part of the region’s ecosystem, the lagoon is protected for its biodiversity.

As the sand continues to stream into the San Elijo Lagoon, Nature Collective is hoping to raise enough funds for an aquatic dredge to remove the sand and open up the inlet. In an interview with NBC 7 San Diego, Bright said that Nature Collective will need at least $1 million for the aquatic dredge.

Nature Collective aims to “clear the sand as soon as possible [and restore] tidal flow” before this year ends.

by Joanne Liu

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About the Contributors

Sarina Feng, Feature Editor

As she embarks on the second half of her high school journey, Sarina Feng is excited to begin her second year on the Falconer by taking on the role of Feature Editor. Feng joined the Falconer as a staff writer during her sophomore year, inspired by journalism’s ability to amplify voices that often go unheard. With a keen attention to detail and a touch of creativity, she is committed to exploring and spotlighting the diverse, remarkable stories within the community. When not in the newsroom or buried under homework, Feng finds joy in her artistic pursuits and passion projects. She can be found scribbling down lines of poetry, sketching while immersed in hour-long video essays, working on technology projects, or making attempts at photography with her twenty-year-old camera. A lover of music, beachside strolls, surrealist art, and multitasking, Feng is ready for another year of lasting memories and growth as both a student journalist and individual.

Sneha Lele, Copy Editor

Entering her second year on the Falconer, Sneha Lele is excited to be an instrumental factor in the paper’s growth and development. As Copy Editor, Lele hopes to revise stories to their maximum potential and guide newcomers in a positive and meaningful way. Lele loves reading over stories and seeing the results of the group’s hard work and creativity. She is also involved in science journalism at a nearby research center and writes duo-editorials as an intern for a local journal. Outside the newsroom, you can find her playing at her local volleyball club, performing in music festivals or making new music playlists. With a passion for writing, creating and performing, Lele is prepared to give her best, looking forward to a rewarding and fulfilling finish to her high school journalism journey.

Joanne Liu, Writer

Embarking on the journey that is her sophomore year at TPHS, Joanne Liu constantly strives to satisfy her craving for creative self expression– and her first year as a member of the Falconer is just the perfect opportunity. As a student athlete seeking balance in her restless life, Liu hopes that she can blend the beautiful choreography of figure skating with the captivating art of journalism to fill this year with passion. Liu is also currently the graphic designer for the TPHS Biology Olympiad Club. In her spare time, Liu enjoys watching video essays, listening to music (such as Laufey and Billie Eilish), playing minesweeper, and creating art in many different forms.

Jaewon Jang, Graphic designer

After moving from Palos Verdes at the start of the school year, Jaewon Jang began his work as a graphic designer for this national-ranked, award-winning publication this year. To continue his career from his previous high school, he will express his drawing and editing skills to support the Falconer. He looks forward to making the newspaper more graphically appealing and complete. Other than his role on the Falconer, he is also a member of the Bio Olympiad club and the Scripps Health medical care center volunteers, aiming to make the community a better place. Still new to TPHS, he is learning about many things and getting acclimated to his new environment. While he still misses his old high school’s staff, he never regrets joining the Falconer and embarking on his new adventure.