San Diego Deserves Better Than This

As we head into the 4th of July—when families come together to celebrate our nation and enjoy our coastline—it’s absolutely outrageous that multiple beaches in San Diego County are either closed or under health warnings because of sewage flowing from Mexico into our ocean.

Let that sink in: In America’s Finest City, we’re warning people to stay out of the water because of raw sewage.

Double-click on chart to enlarge for better readability | Credit: San Diego Coastkeeper

Coronado, one of the most iconic and beautiful beach destinations in the world, has seen its shoreline closed for weeks. Families planning vacations, locals hoping for a beach day—they’re greeted with contamination signs. And in Imperial Beach, it’s even worse. That beach has been closed for over 1,000 days. More than three years without access to a clean, safe shoreline.

This isn’t just an environmental disaster—it’s a public health crisis. It’s a punch to the gut for working families, small businesses, and the entire region.

Our beaches are supposed to be places where children can swim, where families can play, where we can take pride in the natural beauty of our home. Instead, we’ve allowed this problem to go unchecked for far too long, and a bad neighbor has been able to dump millions of gallons of sewage with no consequence.

We shouldn’t tolerate this for one more day.

San Diegans deserve clean water. Our communities deserve safe beaches.

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond | June 30, 2025

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