IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — Saturday marks 900 days since Imperial Beach closed due to sewage runoff from the Tijuana River. That forces Imperial Beach businesses like the IB Forum Bar and Grill to adjust to a new normal.
"I notice we don't have people coming in with no shoes on, sand all over their feet, kids in their bathing suits," said Connie, a server at the restaurant. "Every summer, that was something we saw all the time. I don't notice that at all."
Connie has worked at the Forum for ten years. She also lives nearby.
"For me personally, especially because I have children, I can't take them to the beach and play. Even in the sand," said Connie. "Before it was just, 'oh don't go in the water.' Now it's, 'Don't play in the sand. Don't go onto the beach at all.'"
San Diego State University released a study about how the contamination issue isn't just in the water; it's also in the air and the soil—all from billions of gallons of sewage every year.
Some people living in Imperial Beach tell ABC 10News they're getting headaches, nausea and occasionally waking up in the middle of the night due to the smell.
"A lot of people us have coughs," said Connie. "Lingering coughs for no reason, with no other symptoms. Not like a cold, sneezing, or runny nose. At night, it seems to get worse. People don't open their windows at night. If you have air conditions, like the window vents, they don't use that."
So, for Imperial Beach residents, the only thing worse than years without the beach is not knowing when the smell will go away.
"My daughter is seven years old. She says, 'Why do we live here? Can't we move up to Ocean Beach?'" said Connie. "And I'm like, 'easier said than done.'"
It's unclear when Imperial Beach will reopen.
