In the early days of fall, is it too late or too soon to consider life at the beach?
In Southern California, specifically our neck of the woods in San Diego County, the question is most likely moot.
Our temperate weather lends itself to a year ‘round beach vibe. Most days of the year, with a sliver of sunshine and clear skies, you are likely to find a handful of people, at minimum, sunbathing or exercising somewhere on the beaches and bays up and down the coast.
Frolicking in the ocean, however, is another matter.
Anyone south of Highway 54 that lives near the ocean or recreates there knows the Pacific is a mess. Check in with the county’s water quality website (sdbeachinfo.com) and you’re likely to find this message for Imperial Beach, our neighbor just minutes away via South I-5.
“Bacteria levels exceed health standards. Avoid water contact in the closure areas.”
This particular warning references the area from the south end of Seacoast to Carnation Avenue. But there are other times when warnings and advisories spill over into other areas, including Coronado.
Sadly, in South County beach closures are as common as sewage spills at the border, which can feel as common as sunny days.
One of the biggest causes is the sewage and toxic waste that makes its way here from Tijuana via the Pacific. Addressing that particular source of pollution is an ongoing negotiation that requires tact, diplomacy and incentives between governments on both sides of the border.
But on the U.S. side one of the equation, one facet of the solution we have sole control over are the sewage treatment plants operating here.
The Southbay International Water Treatment Plant is in serious need of upgrading to keep up with the increasing sewage originating in Mexico.
Thankfully the Biden Administration has asked Congress for a little more than $300 million to help fix the treatment facility.
The coming winter is expected to bring heavy rains and storms which in turn will create more pollution runoff from both sides of the border.
All of San Diego County’s Congressional representatives must get behind the request and work to make sure the plant has adequate funding. The ocean, the beaches and our lifestyle deserve safeguarding.
