Michael McCarthy and his wife, Sepa, live just a few blocks from the pier at Imperial Beach. Early Sunday, they walked there to fish for the first time in more than four years. “This morning there were no signs on the beach. It was open when we got here,” McCarthy said, referring to yellow a nd red signs that have been planted in the sand for years. The stretch of ocean from Imperial Beach to the Mexican border has faced water quality concerns because of ongoing contamination from unprocessed sewage flows through the nearby Tijuana River. That has triggered toxic gases in the air and dangerous bacteria in the water. Michael McCarthy and his wife, Sepa Ioapo, fished off the Imperial Beach pier for the first time in four years, Sunday, Imperial Beach, Calif., August 9, 2026. On Thursday, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality unexpectedly declared the water at the pier safe for swimming and fishing after levels were checked. “It was like, wow, it seems like it’s been years since the signs came down,” said Sepa Ioapo after a few hours of fishing with her husband. The reversal surprised many people who had hoped the reopening signaled an improvement after years of concerns about sewage pollution. “Now, the signs are back up again. What is going on here?” she said. Friday’s rain across the county appears to have churned up the ocean water, infecting it with more toxic waste. “It smells like rotten eggs,” McCarthy said. Although it did not stop the couple’s fishing trip. It did add disappointment for them after living with the problem for decades. McCarthy told NBC 7, “we couldn’t have birthday parties, we couldn’t invite friends or walk in our neighborhood. Basically, living inside.” Several people continued to enjoy Imperial Beach, Sunday, despite the return of signs warning them to stay out of the water, August 9, 2026. Paloma Aguirre, a former Imperial Beach mayor who was elected San Diego County supervisor last year, said the reopening offered a glimpse of what people living with the contamination have been waiting for. “It’s a great day when the beach is open. The sad reality is that the beach will be closed again as soon as the river again continues to flow,” Aguirre said. Aguirre created a recovery plan that is already in process and is designed to clean up the contamination, hold leaders accountable and provide initial relief for people living in the affected area. For a couple of days, the reopening offered hope after a long history of contamination. But some beachgoers were not surprised to see the warnings return following the rain. “It was a little disappointing. I can’t say I was surprised after the rain, of course. But, it’s not stopping me from getting in (the ocean),” said Matt Barry, who has lived in Imperial Beach for a decade and surfs several days a week. He said he’ll be back on Monday morning. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less