Just a week before the Fourth of July, San Diego County health officials are warning people to avoid entering the water at 10 local beaches due to heightened bacteria levels.
With several popular beaches across San Diego County under new water contamination advisories, it's raising concerns for avid beachgoers like locals like Sophia Barrios and her two dogs, Kilua and Aluca.
“We’re basically outside every day. We live the bus life, so we’re always around the water,” Barrios tells me.
But with the new warnings in place, she’s rethinking her usual routine.
“That is kind of scary because they love the water," she says. "They can be in it all day and probably get a lot of it in their system.”
From Imperial Beach to Cardiff, county officials have issued advisories due to high levels of bacteria in the water.
The beach advisories, announced Thursday, impact the following locations:
- La Jolla Cove Beachline, Children's Pool
- Ocean Beach/Dog Beach
- Cardiff State Beach in Encinitas: San Elijo Lagoon Outlet, Chartouse Parking Lot area
- Silver Strand Shoreline (north Carnation to south of Avenida Lunar)
- Mission Bay: South Crown Point, Santa Clara Cove
- Pacific Beach: Tourmaline Surf Park
- Del Mar
County officials said these advisories will remain in place until testing shows the water meets state health standards, potentially impacting beach activities as the holiday approaches.
Despite the advisories, some residents say the warnings won’t put a damper on their holiday plans.
“It’s the Fourth of July weekend—it’s like the hottest weekend of the year,” Dylan O'Neill told me. “There’ll be people out.”
O'Neill with his friends and family noted that advisories have become a familiar part of life at some beaches.
“Honestly, it’s like OB or at the river—you get those advisories once every other week. It doesn’t really stop us,” O'Neill said.
If you’re heading to the beach this weekend, county officials recommend checking updated water quality reports on www.sdbeachinfo.com [sdbeachinfo.com] before diving in.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story indicated part of the advisory was connected to domoic acid concerns in shellfish at the affected beaches. San Diego County clarified that beach management advisories are based on testing that confirms the presence of fecal indicator bacteria, not concerns about domoic acid. Additionally, the California Department of Public Health lifted warnings about sport-harvested shellfish in San Diego County on June 5. Read more from CDPH here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
