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Imperial Beach, California

The Imperial Beach sewage crisis, from the beach back to its roots

Sewage from Tijuana has kept our beach closed for most of the past several years. Follow it on the map below: where it comes from, what's being done, and how you can help.

Explore the mapIs it safe today?
Last updated Reviewed by Stacy WillisSummarized from public sources with the help of AIHow this site is made
The Imperial Beach Pier reaching out over the surf at sunset, its lamps lit and the sky orange behind it.
The Imperial Beach Pier at sunset. Photo: Jon Bilous / iStock

The interactive map

Follow the Flow

Every pipe, pump, and treatment plant on both sides of the border. Tap a point to see what it does, switch seasons, and trace the problems back to their roots.

In dry months, the river is mostly diverted when the pumps work. The bigger problem is Punta Bandera: about half of what reaches the coastal plant is dumped on the shoreline, and currents carry it north to Imperial Beach.

Open the map full screen
Schematic map of the Tijuana River watershed near the border, showing sewage infrastructure and flows United StatesMexicoTijuanaPacific OceanTijuana River ValleyEstuaryPB-CILASouth Bay plantSan Antonio de los Buenos plantPump Station 1Tijuana sewer systemUpstream treatment plantsGoat CanyonSmuggler's Gulch3 smaller collectorsTrash boomSaturn Blvd hotspotImperial BeachSouth Bay Ocean Outfall~15 MGD in river, diverted~18 MGD untreated~35 MGD treatedRiver mouth ~1Punta Bandera ~18Canyons ~0.5Outfall (treated) ~35!!!TOzone nanobubblesTTrash boom pilotTCanyon boomTCulvert redesignTAir monitoringTHome air purifiersTAdvanced treatment+Pre-storm sweep+Pre-storm sweep+Los Laureles+Matadero Canyon+Camino Verde+Boom debris tally+Map dumpsites+Beach cleanups+Protect yourself$WILDCOAST$Alter Terra$Coastkeeper$Surfrider$Estuary Foundation$Binational grants$Citizens for Coastal ConservancySchematic, not to scale. Locations approximate.
Sewage contained in pipesTreated wastewaterUntreated, escapingOfflineLine thickness shows volume

Figures are approximate averages drawn from public reports as of September 2026. Flows vary widely day to day and storm to storm. MGD means million gallons per day.

Everything on the map is also written out as a list, under the full-screen map.

Right now

Is Imperial Beach safe today?

Full status and warning signs

Official sources are the authority on closures. This site links to them and explains what the status means.

Start here

Understand it, see what's being done, then help

Understand the crisis

Why the sewage keeps coming

Leaking pipes in Tijuana, an overwhelmed coastal plant, and storms nothing is built to handle.

Solutions

What's being built, and what's stuck

Every major project, who's responsible, what it costs, and where it stands.

Take action

Ways to help that make a difference

From pre-storm cleanups to donating to projects on both sides of the border.

Before the first rain

Trash that washes down in the first storms breaks the pumps meant to stop sewage

September and October are the window for cleanups that protect equipment downstream.

Find a cleanupDonate to a project
A project signboard on open ground reading TIJUANA RIVER TRASH BOOM PROJECT, carrying the Water Boards, RCAC and Alter Terra logos, an aerial diagram of the boom stretched across the river channel, and a panel of project details.
The sign for the Tijuana River trash boom, run by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation with Alter Terra and the State Water Board. Photo: Rural Community Assistance Corporation

News and explainers

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Looking up through Surfhenge at Portwood Pier Plaza: tall acrylic surfboard arches in pink, purple, yellow and orange against a clear blue sky, with palm trees and the Imperial Beach lifeguard tower behind.
Surfhenge at Portwood Pier Plaza, Imperial Beach. Its arches are where this site's logo comes from. Photo: Nancy Shepherd / Freerange

Why I made this

I live in Imperial Beach. Understanding this problem took an immense amount of reading, so I built the guide I wish I'd had.

Whether you live here, surf here, work on the issue, or just want to help, my goal is to give you a clear picture of the problem and show where your time, voice, or money can make a difference.

Stacy Willis, Imperial Beach resident

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