Baja California’s Secretary of Health Adrián Medina Amarillas declared three Tijuana beaches closed to swimmers due to dangerous pollution levels, calling them the most contaminated shoreline in the state. The closures affect San Antonio de los Buenos, El Vigía, and Baja Malibú, all located along Tijuana’s southern coast.
Which Beaches Are Closed and Why
Medina Amarillas said the three Tijuana beaches closed to the public are less frequently visited spots where water quality tests showed unsafe contamination. San Antonio de los Buenos sits near a wastewater outfall south of Playas de Tijuana. El Vigía and Baja Malibú are farther south along the same stretch of coastline, between the city and Rosarito.
Tijuana’s water pollution problems are well documented on both sides of the border. Billions of gallons of untreated sewage, industrial chemicals, and trash flow through the Tijuana River watershed each year. On the U.S. side, Imperial Beach has seen over 1,000 cumulative days of beach closures since the crisis escalated roughly a decade ago. The contamination on Mexico’s side follows the same pattern of aging and overwhelmed wastewater infrastructure.
Ensenada, Rosarito, and San Felipe Deemed Safe
The health secretary said most other Baja California beaches currently pose no risk to swimmers. Beaches in Ensenada, about 80 miles south of Tijuana on the Transpeninsular Highway, and in Rosarito, roughly 20 miles south, tested within safe limits. San Felipe and other Gulf of California beaches on the peninsula’s eastern shore showed no contaminants at all, making them the state’s safest option for beachgoers.
Baja California conducts periodic water quality testing at public beaches, measuring levels of enterococcus and other bacteria that indicate sewage contamination. When levels exceed federal health standards, authorities can order closures and post warning signs. The three Tijuana closures remain in effect with no announced timeline for reopening.
The broader Tijuana sewage crisis has drawn attention from agencies on both sides of the border. A broken pump at a Tijuana sewage facility contributed to elevated hydrogen sulfide levels as recently as March 19, when readings on the U.S. side hit 500 parts per billion, more than 15 times California’s state standard of 30 parts per billion. Swimmers and surfers who enter contaminated water risk gastrointestinal illness, skin rashes, and ear and eye infections.
Medina Amarillas did not announce a date for new water quality testing at the three closed Tijuana beaches, as reported by The Baja Post.