Coronado also feels Imperial Beach’s raw sewage pain, reports NBC 7’s Joe Little.
Tijuana’s wastewater treatment plant has only been treating sewage for about two weeks, but there’s hope South Bay beaches could welcome people back into the water.
Coronado Mayor John Duncan confirmed the San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant began treating 18 million gallons of Tijuana’s raw sewage the week of April 16. The plant has dumped billions of gallons of raw sewage into the Pacific Ocean off Punta Bandera since 2020.
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WATCH HERE“It’s a real problem,” Duncan said. “Since the Mexico plant started up, we've had many more open days up here."
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SIGN UP The raw sewage from Tijuana has wrecked local businesses, dropped property values and affected the health of thousands of people in Imperial Beach and the Tijuana River Valley. The sewage’s nasty impact stretches into Coronado.
“It has hurt some businesses. It has hurt some hotel occupancy,” Duncan confirmed.
“They're not going to go to the beach,” exclaimed Sam Frederick. “They’re all bummed because the water is polluted.”
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Frederick has owned Little Sam’s Island & Beach Fun along Orange Avenue in Coronado for more than 30 years. He said surfboard rentals usually net him upwards of $5,000 a month. He said he only earned $150 last month.
“It's really, really affected me. Money. Financially. But also, I love to have fun, and I can’t have my people have fun,” Frederick sighed.
Duncan has lobbied Congress and state leaders alongside his fellow South Bay mayors.
“My big concern as mayor is, is that reputation of a dirty beach or dirty city will start to stick,” he said.
Reopening San Antonio de los Buenos helped. He argued San Diego County still needs a solution for the polluted Tijuana River and maintenance of the treatment plants on both sides of the border.
“Otherwise, five years from now, we could be back where we are today," Duncan said.
“I have hope. I get all nervous,” Frederick said.
