Air District Issues Odor Advisory

The nation’s most polluted beach is in California, study finds — Imperial Beach in San Diego, California -reddit

I was just discussing the stench in Imperial Beach with a friend who owns a home there. She told me that it had been unbearable and that they were using air purifiers to make the air breathable. That odor is coming from the sewage in the ocean.

In my opinion, the ocean water has been filthy for many years. I lived in Coronado for 26 years and for about the last ten, I stayed away from the beach. The sewage would come up from Tijuana even back then. My son, a surfer, would tell me about seeing raw sewage and needles in the surf on some days. I made sure the entire family got a Hepatitis B shot for extra protection. If it rained, the warning signs would be posted and the beach would be off limits for several days.

For five years, I wrote an online paper named Coronado Common Sense. One of the services I provided was a sewage flow "tracker" that showed a mapping of how far the plume was coming up the coast from Tijuana. I don't see that particular tracker right now but daily Tijuana River Plume Trajectories may be found on the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System website. They are reporting a 27 particle count at the Tijuana River Mouth (11.26.2024) and that is high. You can also track the Air Quality Monitoring daily using the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District site.

So what effect does this have on Bonita-Sunnyside residents? We are an approximate 15-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean. "The ocean breezes off the coast keep temperatures milder than inland areas and provide a pleasant environment to spend time outside in Bonita, CA" according to a Bonita info site. It's a stretch but if that stench continues up the coast, we could be getting a whiff of it.

Tammy Murga of the San Diego Union-Tribune recently wrote about it.

"Just weeks after unveiling a new odor alert system, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District on Monday issued an advisory warning that levels of sewer gases above state thresholds were detected near the Tijuana River Valley.

The district’s air monitoring equipment in Nestor had recorded concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that smells like rotten eggs, above the state standard of 30 parts per billion (ppb), which is intended to be protective against headaches and nausea. The limit is also designed to protect sensitive groups, such as children, older adults and people with certain health conditions.

Communities including Nestor, Imperial Beach, San Ysidro and surrounding areas have reported feeling ill after smelling sewer gas odors due to untreated wastewater that spills over the border from Tijuana.

According to readings from Berry Elementary School on Rimbey Avenue near Saturn Boulevard, levels of the gas peaked at 100 ppb around 10 p.m. and 39 ppb around 11 p.m. on Sunday.

Several residents living and working near the Tijuana River Valley reported smelling strong odors of the past couple of days. Among them was Regina Gamboa, who said the stench had infiltrated her home. Her daughter has lung complications and Gamboa said exposure to the sewer gas has exacerbated her daughter’s condition.

'The smell isn’t as strong as it was a few months ago but it’s still noticeable and worrisome,' she said.

The advisory recommends that if odors persist, one should consider taking the following precautions to reduce exposure to the gas:

Limit outdoor activities if odors are bothersome; Keep doors and windows closed until odors are no longer present. For indoor air quality, use air conditioning or air purifiers.

If possible, businesses should run the HVAC system for 1-2 hours before opening.

People with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other chronic lung conditions should have their rescue medications readily available. If symptoms from strong odor persists, are worrisome, or worsen, seek medical care.

The alert comes after the district earlier this month launched an online dashboard to track sewer gas levels and an index to advise the public on what to do. The dashboard shows hourly levels of hydrogen sulfide tracked from Nestor and San Ysidro. Readings from Imperial Beach City Hall will also be available in the coming weeks. Visit sdapcd.org/TJRiver for details."

Source: Tammy Murga | San Diego Union-Tribune | November 26, 2024

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