IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — The sewage crisis in Imperial Beach is raising health and safety concerns for lifeguards.
Imperial Beach has dealt with raw sewage flowing across the border from Mexico into San Diego for years.
The polluted water has changed how lifeguards operate. Now, they spend more time encouraging people to stay out of the water instead of getting in.
"Now we talk to every single person that comes on the beach and basically describe the conditions they're going into," Marine Safety Captain Jason Lindquist said.
Despite the yellow "KEEP OUT THE WATER" signs, some people still surf or go for a swim.
Lindquist said lifeguards risk their safety every time they get in the water to rescue someone.
"Norovirus... there's flesh-eating bacteria. There's all kinds of things in the water we know we could get," he said.
Lifeguards either go to Coronado or swim in the San Diego Bay for training.
"That's also upside down where the bay water is the cleanest water we have around compared to this [Imperial Beach]," Lindquist said.
They've also added rinse kits to their trucks to decontaminate them after they get in the water.
Last year, the department's junior lifeguard program was canceled because the kids had nowhere to swim.
The other reason was staffing shortages; Lindquist said the pollution is also partly to blame.
"To not go in the water every day, and to smell it [sewage] and breathe it, we can't compete with other agencies that pay more and have clean water," Lindquist said.
The department brought the program back this year, but it'll be held 11 miles up the coast at Naval Base North Island.
