Most of the Imperial Beach shoreline is closed due to a sewage spill in Tijuana overnight, according to Imperial Beach Lifeguards.
The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health (DEH) advised IB lifeguards to close the portion of Imperial Beach south of Seacoast Drive due to a malfunction at an International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) wastewater treatment plant in Tijuana, IB Lifeguards said.
The sewage spill occurred from the hours of 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday, lifeguards said. According to the DEH website, the spill was caused by a failure of a diverter valve. It was not clear how much sewage seeped into the United States.
According to the IBWC website, a partial electrical power failure occurred Friday morning at Tijuana’s pump station CILA. About 560,000 gallons bypassed the station. It was not clear if the failure may have lead to Saturday night's leak.
The closure was put into effect at 11 a.m. Sunday and will continue indefinitely, lifeguards said.
Water at the shoreline is sampled on a weekly basis in the winter months when the Tijuana River flows more heavily. DEH will advise when water quality testing meets health standards.
Rainfall has a history of exacerbating sewage spills from Tijuana. There is a 60 percent chance of rain Monday in San Diego County, with a possibility of showers through Thursday.
