May 19, 2026
Coronado, an upscale resort town on a peninsula in San Diego Bay, has gotten an unfortunate doo-over.
Since 2018, over 100 billion gallons of raw sewage have flowed from the Tijuana River, one of the most endangered (1) rivers in the nation, into Southern California. (2) And Coronado, known for its beautiful beaches and resort tourism, has felt the effects in a big way. The consequences for locals have been pungent, polluting air quality, family time and the local economy.
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Local and federal governments have been working on a solution to the crisis, throwing money at the problem. For many residents of San Diego County, the damage has already been done.
'Paradise lost' — the human toll
The county's sewage issues have led to some residents fleeing hard-hit areas. Coronado's waters, once sparkling, are now hit by up to 30 million gallons (3) of sewage a day.
"It was heaven on earth and now I call it paradise lost," Whitney David told the Wall Street Journal. (4) David, a retired surgeon and surfer, left Coronado largely because of the pollution. He said he would see "all kinds of trash" floating in the ocean, from food wrappers to feces.
And visitors are being encouraged to avoid the water. New Jersey resident Kristin Cohen told the New York Post she and her daughter were turned away from Coronado's shores by signage that declared contact with the water "may cause illness." (5)
Not even the military is immune to the effects. Multiple outlets report the crisis has interrupted Navy SEAL Training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. (6)
The infusion of wastewater has even tainted the air breathed by locals.
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Local government seems to recognize the scope of the problem. Paloma Aguirre, of the San Diego County Board Supervisors, reportedly called it the "worst environmental disaster in the United States," imploring Governor Gavin Newsom to declare the crisis a State of Emergency. (7)
San Diego County officials have distributed 12,000 air purifiers to households near the Tijuana River, said Stefanie Sekich, a special advisor to Aguirre, per Cal Matters. Lifeguards and park rangers who work near the Tijuana River have reported headaches, fatigue, nausea and bloody noses after river exposure. (8)
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What it's costing the economy
Pollution along San Diego County's coastal cities has made life difficult for small business owners.
"The problem is reputational damage across the country that's causing people from not just Arizona, but Chicago and New York, whoever, that are not coming because of the sewage," said Mike Hess, owner of Mike Hess Brewing. He told the San Diego Tribute (9) business at his Imperial Beach location — not far from Coronado — is down roughly 28% from 2022 highs.
Less tourism means lack of revenue. Bill Maccharles, the general manager of waterfront restaurant Poehes, told Coronado News (10) in 2024 that 2023 revenue was down roughly $800,000 compared to the year prior, when frequent water closures began. He estimated roughly 20% of that loss was due to sewage issues.
Businesses across the county have suffered. The County of San Diego conducted an economic impact study: (11) preliminary results revealed 74% of businesses were negatively impacted, 30% laid off staff and 50% lost more than $100,000 in revenue. The City of Imperial Beach lost $1 million to $1.5 million in property taxes, and $500,000 to lost tourism annually.
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Residents of the beach city have seen property values drop. Sandi Crosby, president of the Imperial Beach Chamber of Commerce, went so far as to say Imperial Beach is the only city in California where prices are actually dropping, citing a 12% to 15% drop in property values. (12)
Relief is on its way, eventually
Although the government has thrown money at the problem, progress remains slow.
It was last year that representatives from the U.S. and Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, one committing them to solve the Tijuana River sewage issue. Since 2020, around $653 million has been committed to the issue, reports CBS News, but the crisis has continued largely because of delays by the Mexican government, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has said. (13)
Solutions remain a work in progress. In February, Zeldin met with San Diego and congressional leaders to discuss the issue. He promised two projects would be completed soon, Calmatters reports. (14) One would prevent 5 million gallons per day of sewage from entering the Tijuana River. The other would divert 10 million gallons per day of treated effluent from the river.
Meanwhile, business owners struggle to keep it together. "We are losing 200 to 300 customers a day," Harunder Singh, owner of two 7-Eleven franchises in Imperial Beach, told Voices of San Diego. (15) "We are struggling now. We need to get the customers back and visitors back in."
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Los Angeles Times (1); PJ Media (2); The Wall Street Journal (3),(4); New York Post (5); The Cool Down (6); Parade (7); CalMatters (8),(14); San Diego Union-Tribune (9),(12); The Coronado News (10); Surfrider Foundation (11); CBS News (13); Voice of San Diego (15)
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Cole Tretheway has been covering money for four years. He started as an intern at The Motley Fool Money, covering best-of credit cards, savings accounts, and financial products. He's since expanded into wholistic personal finances, including the psychology of money.
