Warning signs lined the sand at Coronado Beach this weekend as elevated bacteria levels linked to another sewage spill from Tijuana forced swimming closures along parts of San Diego County’s coastline.
County health officials extended water-contact closures from Imperial Beach north through the Silver Strand and into Coronado after a recent break in a Mexican wastewater pipeline sent millions of gallons of sewage-contaminated water toward the Pacific Ocean.
The closure comes despite emergency repairs completed this week on the cross-border sewer line that collapsed for the second time in recent weeks. Officials say bacteria levels in the ocean remain unsafe for swimmers, surfers and others entering the water.
For Melizza and Dan Lozano of Chula Vista, the contamination has become an unwelcome routine.
M.G. PerezM.G. Perez
Signs warning people to stay out of the water were posted near the volleyball area on Coronado Beach, Saturday, June 6, 2026.
The couple, who regularly play beach volleyball with friends, moved their weekend game from Imperial Beach to Coronado in hopes of avoiding the impacts of the pollution.
“We were not able to play in IB because the air is also polluted,” Melizza Lozano said. “The air quality is also bad.”
Even at Coronado Beach, bright warning signs cautioned visitors to stay out of the water.
“I do not enter the water unless I have to,” Dan Lozano said. “But that has pretty much been the norm for a few years now.”
County environmental health officials first issued the latest advisory earlier this week after testing revealed bacteria levels exceeding state health standards.
Although the odor associated with sewage contamination had largely dissipated by Saturday, concerns remain about ongoing public health risks.
Mexican repair crews worked around the clock to seal the damaged international wastewater pipeline. The break increased flows through the Tijuana River Valley, where polluted runoff eventually reached the ocean.
Long-distance swimmer Jason Papa said the contamination was the only reason he stayed out of the water this weekend.
M.G. PerezM.G. Perez
Jason Papa, shows the wet suit he wears to keep warm while swimming in the Pacific Ocean, Coronado, Calif., June 6, 2026
“If the water was clean right now, I could swim with no suit on at all,” Papa said. “Only because of the sewage,” he told NBC 7.
Most beachgoers remained on the sand Saturday, avoiding the surf despite calm conditions.
“The water is one big mass of liquid,” Melizza Lozano said. “Everything diffuses, and it’s going to scatter all the way north.”
County officials continue to monitor water quality and advise the public to avoid ocean contact in affected areas until testing confirms conditions are safe.
The latest beach advisories and closures are available through San Diego County’s beach monitoring system and website.