Silver Strand Shoreline Deemed Safe

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – It's now safe for surfers, swimmers and other beachgoers to enjoy the water along the Silver Strand shoreline.

The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health on Tuesday lifted the water contact closure for the Silver Strand shoreline, from the beach-line north of Imperial Beach to Avenida Lunar in Coronado. The area was recently closed to water contact due to sewage-contaminated flows from the Tijuana River entering the United States, but recent testing confirmed that the water quality meets state health standards.

"The ocean shoreline from the International Border to the north end of Imperial Beach will remain closed until sampling confirms these areas are safe for water contact," the department said in a statement.

International water quality experts were blindsided last month, when a major sewage transmission line in Tijuana was closed for repairs and millions of gallons of raw sewage diverted to the Tijuana River, which flows into the United States at San Ysidro.

Patch file photo