Water contact closure lifted for South County beaches

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — A long-standing water contact closure for Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Border Field State Park shorelines has been lifted. 

The shoreline from the U.S.-Mexico border to the south end of Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach was closed because rainfall was pushing sewage-contaminated flows from the Tijuana River into the United States, according to the county Department of Environmental Health. 

Testing has confirmed that the water quality was up to state standards and sewage out of Baja California was no longer affecting the South County beaches, county officials said.