Residents in the South Bay can now safely head back to the beach to enjoy surfing or swimming in the ocean.
A Water Contact Closure was lifted for beaches from the U.S.-Mexico border to Coronado on Thursday. The closure started on Dec 5. after county officials advised people not to swim in the ocean due to potential runoff.
The Tijuana Slough, Imperial Beach, Silver Strand and Coronado were all cleared as safe for swimmers on Thursday.
Advisories are still in place as of Thursday morning for Ocean Beach's Dog Beach, Mission Bay and La Jolla, including the Children's Pool. The County said that 'bacteria levels may exceed health standards' and are asking people to avoid getting into the ocean.
A closure is also in place at the Tijuana Slough Shoreline which runs from the U.S. Mexico border to the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge, according to the County. The County is advising people to stay out of the water in this area, as well.
The area is often closed after heavy rain due to sewage runoff from Mexico. A diverter, part of an agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, is shut down during heavy rainfall, according to the DEH.
In 2018, local governments in the San Diego area sued the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC) over the spills but in October, Mexico pledged to rehabilitate five pumping stations in Tijuana to prevent cross-border sewage spills.
